tt«*$^^^ 


ites 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


OF" 


Mrs.  SARAH  P.  WALS  WORTH. 

Received  October,  1894. 
Accessions  No.  ~ 


ON   THE 


BOOK   OF 


AND 


THE   REVELATION 


THOUGHTS, 

Critical  and  Practical, 

ON   THK 

BOOK   OF   DANIEL 

AND 

THE    REVELATION: 


AN  EXPOSITION,  TEXT  BY  TEXT,   OF  THESE   IMPORTANT 
PORTIONS  OF  THE  HOLY  SCRIPTURES. 


By  URIAH    SMITH, 

Professor  of  Biblical  Exegesis  in  Battle  Creek  College,  Author  of  "Man's 

Nature  and  Destiny,"  "The  Sanctuary  and  its  Cleansing," 

;  The  United  States  in  Prophecy,"  and  other 

Works  on  Bible  Subjects. 


BATTLE   CREEK,  MTCH. : 
REVIEW  AND  HERALD  PUBLISHING  ASSOCIATION. 

1882. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1881,  by 

URIAH    SMITH, 

In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington,  D.  C. 


REVIEW  AND  HKRALD, 

IVinlcrs,  Klecirotj per*,  and  Binders. 


GENERAL  PREFACE, 


IN  presenting  to  the  public  a  volume  of 
Thoughts  on  the  book  of  Daniel  and  the  book 
of  Revelation,  we  have  but  a  few  brief  words  to 
say  to  the  reader. 

The  books  of  Daniel  and  the  Revelation  stand 
naturally  side  by  side,  and  should  be  studied  to- 
gether, as  they  are  the  counterpart  of  each  other. 
The  book  has  been  written  for  a  purpose,  which  is, 

1.  To  lead  you,  reader,  to  receive  what  we   be- 
lieve to  be  the  important   truths  which  it  teaches. 

2.  We  wish  you  to  believe  the  teaching  of  this 
volume,  because  many  of  the  prophecies  of  Daniel 
and  John  concern  your  eternal  welfare,  if  the  view 
here  taken  of  them  is  true,  as  we  suppose.     Intel- 
ligent conviction  of  prophetic  truth  will  lead  to  a 
humble  performance   of  practical  duties  ;    and   the 
willing  and   the   obedient   are   the   only  ones   who 
shall  eat  the  good  of  that  goodly  land  upon  which 
the   redeemed   will   finally   enter,   as   their   eternal 
inheritance. 

3.  No  person  having  the  light  placed  before  him, 
can  continue  to  walk  in  darkness,  and  be  guiltless. 

4.  It    is    the   prophetic   portions    of  God's  word 
that  especially  constitute  it  a  lamp  to  our  feet,  and 
a  light  to  our  path.     Ps.  119:105;  2  Pet.  1:19. 

5.  No  sublimer  study  can  occupy  the  mind  than 
those  books   in  which  He  who   sees   the   end  from 
the  beginning,  looking  forward  through  all  the  ages, 
gives,  through  his  inspired   prophets,  a  description 
of  coming  events,  for  the   benefit   of  those  whose 
lot  it  would  be  to  meet  them. 


VI  PREFACE. 


6.  An  increase  of  knowledge  respecting  the  pro- 
phetic portions  of  the  word  of  God,  was  to  be 
one  of  the  characteristics  of  the  last  days.  Said 
the  angel  to  Daniel,  "But  thou,  O  Daniel,  shut  up 
the  words  and  seal  the  book,  even  unto  the  time 
of  the  end  ;  many  shall  run  to  and  fro,  and  knowl- 
edge shall  be  increased  ; "  or,  as  Michselis'  transla- 
tion reads,  "  When  many  shall  give  their  sedulous 
attention  to  the  understanding  of  these  things,  and 
knowledge  shall  be  increased."  It  is  our  lot  to 
live  this  side  the  time  to  which  the  angel  told  Dan- 
iel to  thus  shut  up  the  words  and  seal  the  book. 
That  restriction  has  expired  by  limitation.  In  the 
language  of  the  figure,  the  seal  has  been  removed, 
and  many  are  running  to  and  fro,  and  knowledge 
is  increased.  While  it  is  true  that,  of  later  years, 
knowledge  has  marvelously  increased  in  eveiy  de- 
partment of  science,  yet  it  is  evident  that  this 
prophecy  specially  contemplates  an  increase  of 
knowledge  concerning  those  prophecies  that  are 
designed  to  give  us  light  in  reference  to  the  age 
in  which  we  live,  the  close  of  this  dispensation, 
and  the  soon-coming  transfer  of  all  earthly  gov- 
ernments to  the  great  King  of  Righteousness,  who 
shall  destroy  his  enemies,  and  crown  with  an  in- 
finite reward,  every  one  of  his  friends.  The  fulfill- 
ment of  the  prophecy  in  the  increase  of  this 
knowledge,  is  one  of  the  pleasisg  signs  of  the 
present  time.  For  about  half  a  century  light  upon 
the  prophetic  word  has  been  increasing  and  shin- 
ing with  ever-growing  luster  to  our  own  day. 

In  no  portion  of  the  word  of  God  is  this  more 
apparent  than  in  the  books  of  Daniel  and  the 
Revelation;  and  we  may  well  congratulate  our- 
selves in  this;  for  no  other  parts  of  that  word 


PREFACE.  vii 

deal  so  largely  in  prophecies  that  pertain  to  the 
closing  scenes  of  this  earth's  history.  No  other 
books  contain  so  many  chains  of  prophecy  reach- 
ing down  to  the  end.  In  no  other  books  is  the 
grand  procession  of  events  that  leads  us  through 
to  the  termination  of  probationary  time,  and  ushers 
us  into  the  realities  of  the  eternal  state,  so  fully 
and  minutely  set  forth.  No  other  books  embrace 
so  completely,  as  it  were  in  one  grand  sweep,  all 
the  truths  that  concern  the  last  generation  of  the 
inhabitants  of  the  earth,  and  set  forth  so  compre- 
hensively all  the  aspects  of  the  times,  physical, 
moral,  and  political,  in  which  the  triumph  of  earthly 
woe  and  wickedness  shall  end,  and  the  eternal  reign 
of  righteousness  begin.  It  is  to  call  attention 
especially  to  these  features  of  the  books  of  Daniel 
and  the  Revelation,  which  seem  heretofore  to  have 
been  too  generally  overlooked,  or  misinterpreted, 
that  these  Thoughts  are  offered  to  the  public. 

There  seems  to  be  no  prophecy  which  a  person 
can  have  so  little  excuse  for  misunderstanding, 
especially  as  relates  to  its  main  features,  as  the 
prophecy  of  Daniel.  Dealing  but  sparingly  in  lan- 
guage that  is  highly  figurative,  explaining  all  the 
symbols  it  introduces,  locating  its  events  within  the 
rigid  confines  of  prophetic  periods,  it  points  out  the 
first  advent  of  the  Messiah,  in  so  clear  and  unmis- 
takable a  manner  as  to  call  forth  the  execration  of 
the  Jews  upon  any  attempt  to  explain  it,  and  gives 
HO  accurately,  and  so  many  ages  in  advance,  the 
outlines  of  the  great  events  of  our  world's  history, 
that  infidelity  stands  confounded  and  dumb  before 
its  inspired  record. 

And  no  effort  to  arrive  at  a  correct  understand- 
ing of  the  book  of  Eevelation  needs  any  apology ; 


PREFACE. 


for  the  Lord  of  the  prophecy  has  himself  pro- 
nounced a  blessing  upon  him  that  readeth  and 
they  that  hear  the  words  of  this  prophecy,  and 
keep  the  things  that  are  written  therein  ;  for  the 
time  is  at  hand.  And  it  is  with  an  honest  purpose 
of  aiding  somewhat  in  arriving  at  this  understand- 
ing, which  is  set  forth  by  the  language  above 
referred  to  as  not  only  possible  but  praiseworthy, 
that  an  exposition  of  this  book,  according  to  the 
literal  rule  of  interpretation,  has  been  attempted. 

With  thrilling  interest  we  behold  to-day  the  na- 
tions marshaling  their  forces  and  pressing  forward 
in  those  movements  described  by  the  royal  seer  in 
the  court  of  Babylon  nearly  twenty-five  hundred 
years  ago,  and  by  John  on  barren  Patmos  nearly 
eighteen  hundred  years  ago ;  and  these  movements 
— hear  it,  ye  children  of  men — are  the  last  politi- 
cal revolutions  to  be  accomplished  before  this  earth 
plunges  into  her  final  time  of  trouble,  and  Michael, 
the  great  Prince,  stands  up,  and  his  people,  all 
who  are  found  written  in  the  book,  are  crowned 
with  full  and  final  deliverance. 

Are  these  things  so?  "Seek,"  says  our  Saviour, 
"  and  ye  shall  find.  Knock,  and  it  shall  be  opened 
unto  you."  God  has  not  so  concealed  his  truth 
that  it  will  elude  the  search  of  the  humble  seeker. 

With  a  prayer  that  the  same  Spirit  by  which 
those  portions  of  Scripture  which  form  the  basis 
of  this  volume  were  at  first  inspired,  whose  aid 
the  writer  has  sought  in  his  expository  efforts, 
may  rest  abundantly  upon  the  reader  in  his  inves- 
tigations, this  work  is  commended  to  the  candid 
and  careful  attention  of  all  who  are  interested 
in  prophetic  themes.  U.  S. 

BATTLE  CREEK,  MICH.,  Jan.,  1882. 


CONTENTS. 


THE    BOOK    OF    DANIEL. 


CHAPTEE    I. 

DANIEL     IN     CAPTIVITY. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sacred  Writings. — Five  Historical  Facts. 
— Prophecy  of  Jerusalem's  Captivity. — The  Holy  City 
three  times  Overthrown. — God's  Testimony  against  Sin. — 
Condition  and  Treatment  of  Daniel  and  his  Companions. — 
Character  of  King  Nebuchadnezzar.  — Signification  of  Pa- 
gan Names. — Daniel's  Integrity. — The  Result  of  His 
Experiment. — Daniel  Lives  till  the  Time  of  Cyrus. 

Pages  25—36 

CHAPTER    II. 
THE     GREAT    IMAGE. 

A  Difficulty  Explained.— Daniel  Enters  upon  His  Work.— 
Who  Are  the  Magicians. — Trouble  between  the  King  and 
Wise  Men. — The  Ingenuity  of  the  Magicians. — The  King's 
Sentence  against  Them. — Remarkable  Providence  of 
God.— The  Help  Sought  by  Daniel.— A  Good  Example.— 
Daniel's  Magnanimity. — A  Natural  Character. — The  Ma- 
gicians Exposed.— What  the  World  Owes  to  the  People  of 
God. — Appropriateness  of  the  Symbol. — A  Sublime  Chap- 
ter of  Human  History. — Beginning  of  the  Babylonian 
Kingdom. — What  Is  Meant  by  a  Universal  Kingdom?— 


CONTENTS. 


Description  of  Babylon. — The  Heavenly  City. — Babylon's 
Fall. — Strategemof  Cyrus.  — Belshazzar's  Impious  Feast. 
— Prophecy  Fulfilled.  — Babylon  Reduced  to  Heaps. — The 
Second  Kingdom,  Medo-Persia.  — Persian  Kings,  and  Time 
of  Their  Reign. — Persia's  Last  King. — Alexander  the 
Great. — His  Contemptible  Character. — The  Fourth  King- 
dom.— The  Testimony  of  Gibbon. — Influences  Which 
Undermined  Rome. — A  False  Theory  Examined.  — What 
the  Toes  Signify. — Rome  Divided. — Names  and  Dates  of 
the  Ten  Divisions. — Subsequent  History. — God's  King- 
dom Still  Future. — Its  Nature,  Location,  and  Extent. 

pp.  36—97 

CHAPTER    III. 

THE     FIERY     ORDEAL. 

Nebuchadnezzar's  Image  vs.  God's. — Devotion  of  Idolaters. — 
The  Jews  Accused. — The  King's  Forbearance. — The  Fiery 
Furnace. — Its  Effect  on  the  Chaldeans. — The  Course  of 
the  Three  Worthies.  — The  Wonderful  Deliverance.— Its 
Effect  on  the  King's  Mind. — Integrity  Honored. 

pp.  98—107 

CHAPTER    IV. 
NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S    DECREE. 

The  Oldest  Decree  on  Record. — Humiliation  Confessed. — A 
Good  Example. — Nebuchadnezzar's  Condition. — God's 
Dealing  with  the  King. — The  Magicians  Humbled. — A 
Remarkable  Illustration.  — Mercy  in  Judgment.  — An  Im- 
portant Key  to  Prophetic  Interpretation. — Angels  Inter- 
ested in  Human  Affairs.  — The  King's  Acknowledgment.  — 
Daniel's  Hesitation. — His  Delicate  Answer  to  the  King. — 
Judgments  ^Conditional. — The  Lesson  Unheeded. — The 
Blow  Falls.— The  King's  Restoration.— The  End  Gained. 
Nebuchadnezzar's  Death. — Summary  of  His  Experience. 

pp.  108—119 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    Y. 
BELSHAZZAR'S    FEAST. 

Closing  Scene  of  Babylon's  History.— Celebration  of  the 
Conquest  of  Judea. — The  Sacred  Vessels  Desecrated. — 
God  Interferes  with  the  Reveky.— The  Phantom  Hand.— 
Change  of  Scene. — Daniel  Called. — The  Lesson  to  the 
King.— The  Writing  Interpreted. —The  Fulfillment  Fol- 
lows.— Edwin  Arnold's  Prize  Poem.  pp.  120 — 135 

CHAPTER    VI. 

DANIEL    IN     THE     LION'S     DEN. 

Date  of  the  Persian  Kingdom. — Cyrus  Sole  Ruler. — Paul's 
Reference  to  Daniel's  Experience.  — Extent  of  the  Persian 
Kingdom. — A  Fiendish  Plot. — Righteousness  Daniel's 
Only  Fault. — False  Witness  of  the  Conspirators. — Daniel 
Undisturbed.— The  Decree  Secured.— The  Victim  En- 
snared.— The  King's  Dilemma. — Daniel  Cast  into  the 
Lion's  Den. — His  Wonderful  Preservation. — Fate  of 
Daniel's  Accusers. — Daniel  Doubly  Vindicated. — The 
King's  Decree.  pp.  136 — 144 

CHAPTER    VII. 

THE     FOUR     BEASTS. 

Chronological  Connection. — Rule  of  Scripture  Interpretation. 
— Signification  of  the  Symbols. — The  Kingdoms  Identi- 
cal with  Those  of  Daniel  Two. — Why  the  Vision  is 
Repeated.  — Change  in  Babylonish  History.  —Deterio- 
ration of  Earthly  Governments. — The  Symbol  of  the 
Bear  Explained. — Grecia  the  Third  Kingdom. — Ra- 
pidity of  its  Conquests. — Testimony  of  Rollin. — Signifi- 
cation of  the  Four  Heads  of  the  Leopard  Beast. — The 
Nondescript. — Signification  of  the  Ten  Horns. — A  Little 
Horn  Among  the  Ten. — The  Judgment  Scene. — A  Tern- 


xii  CONTENTS. 


poral  Millennium  Impossible. — Character  of  the  Little 
Horn. — Gradual  Development  of  the  Romish  Church.— 
Opposition  of  the  Arians. — The  Three  Horns  Plucked 
Up. — Millions  of  Martyrs — A  Feeble  Defense. — Pagan- 
ism Outdone. — Meaning  of  Time,  Times,  and  a  Half. — 
Date  of  Papal  Supremacy. — Date  of  Papal  Overthrow. — 
Rome  a  Republic. — The  Power  of  the  Papacy  Waning  in 
its  Stronghold. — A  Later  Judgment. — The  Ecumenical 
Council. — Victor  Emmanuel's  United  Italy. — End  of  the 
Pope's  Temporal  Power. — Its  Coming  Destruction. 

pp.  145—188 

CHAPTER    VIII. 

THE  RAM,  HE  GOAT,  AND  LITTLE  HORN. 

Change  from  Chaldea  to  Hebrew. — Date  of  Belshazzar's 
Reign. — Date  of  this  Vision. — Where  was  Shushan? — A 
Prophecy  of  Isaiah  Fulfilled. — The  Angel  Explains  the 
Symbols. — How  the  Goat  Represents  the  Grecians. — 
Alexander  the  Great. — Battle  at  ijie  River  Granicus. — 
Battle  at  the  Straits  of  Issus.— The  Great  Battle  of  Ar- 
bela. — Subversion  of  the  Persian  Kingdom,  B.  o.  331. — 


Alexander's  Famous  Reply  to  Darius.— The  World  Will 
not  Permit  Two  Suns  nor  Two  Sovereigns.  — Increase  of 
Power. — Alexander's  Disgraceful  Death. — Division  of 
the  Kingdom.  — The  Roman  Horn.  — How  it  Came  Out  of 
One  of  the  Horns  of  the  Goat. — Antiochus  Epiphanes 
not  This  Horn. — Rome  the  Power  Symbolized  by  the 
Little  Horn.— What  is  the  Daily  ?— Two  Desolating  Pow- 
ers Brought  to  View. — When  Oppression  of  the  Saints 
Will  End.— The  2300  Days  not  Here  Explained.— The 
Sanctuary  Explained.  — What  the  Cleansing  of  the  Sanct- 
uary Is. — The  King  of  Fierce  Countenance. — By  What 
Means  the  Romans  Prospered. — The  Explanation  not 
Finished.— The  Reason  Why.  pp.  189—242 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

THE     SEVENTY     WEEKS. 

Fifteen  Years  Between  the  Visions. — Daniel's  Understanding 
of  Jeremiah's  Prophecy. — Daniel's  Wonderful  Prayer. — 
Gabriel  Again  Appears. — Division  of  Chapter  Eight 
Explained. — Connection  Between  Chapters  Eight  and 
Nine  Established.— The  Time  Explained.— The  Seventy 
Weeks.— The  Meaning  of  "  Cut  Off. "—Testimony  of  Dr. 
Hales.— Date  of  the  Seventy  Weeks. — The  Decree  of  Cy- 
rus.— The  Decree  of  Darius. — The  Decree  of  Artaxerxes. 
—The  Year  457  Before  Christ.— Date  of  Christ's  Bap- 
tism.— Date  of  Christ's  Crucifixion. — Invention  of  the 
Christian  Era. — Intermediate  Dates. — Harmony  Estab- 
lished.— The  Genuine  Reading. — Ptolemy's  Canon. — 
The  End  of  the  2300  Days.  pp.  24£— 282 

CHAPTER    X. 
DANIEL'S   LAST   VISION. 

Time  of  Daniel's  Various  Visions. — How  Cyrus  Became  Sole 
Monarch. — Daniel's  Purpose  in  Seeking  God. — Scriptural 
Fasting. — Another  Appearance  of  the  Angel  Gabriel. — 
The  Effect  Upon  Daniel.— Daniel's  Age  at  this  Time.— 
The  Answer  to  Prayer  Sometimes  not  Immediately  Ap- 
parent,—Who  Michael  Is.— Daniel's  Solicitude  for  His 
People.— The  Relation  of  Christ  and  Gabriel  to  the  King 
of  Persia  and  the  Prophet  Daniel.  pp.  283 — 294 

CHAPTER    XI. 

A    LITERAL     PROPHECY. 

Succession  of  Kings  in  Persia.— The  Rich  King.— The  Larg- 
est Army  Ever  Assembled  in  the  World. — Meaning  of 
the  Phrase  "  Stand  Up. "—Alexander  in  Eclipse.— His 
Kingdom  Divided  Among  His  Four  Leading  Generals. — 
Location  of  the  King  of  the  North  and  the  King  of  the 


XIV  CONTENTS. 


South.  — Macedon  and  Thrace  Annexed  to  Syria.— The 
Syrian  Kingdom  Stronger  than  the  Kingdom  of  Egypt.— 
Divorce  and  Marriage  of  Antiochua  Theus.—  Laodice's 
Revenge.— Bernice  and  Her  Attendants  Murdered.— 
Ptolemy  Euergetes  Avenges  the  Death  of  His  Sister.— 
Syria  Plundered. —2500  Idols  Carried  to  Egypt.— Anti- 
ochus  Magnus  Avenges  the  Cause  of  Hig  Father.— De- 
feated by  the  Egyptians. —Ptolemy  Overcome  by  His 
Vices. —Another  Syrian  Campaign  Against  Egypt.— New 
Complications.— Rome  Introduced. —Syria  and  Macedo- 
nia Forced  to  Retire.— Rome  Assumes  the  Guardianship 
of  the  Egyptian  King.— The  Egyptians  Defeated.  — Anti- 
ochus  Falls  Before  the  Romans. —Syria  Made  a  Roman 
Province.— Judea  Conquered  by  Pompey.  —  Ceesar  in 
Egypt.— Exciting  Scenes. —Cleopatra's  Stratagem. —Cae- 
sar Triumphant.— Veni,  Vidi,  Vici.  —  Ceesar's  Death.— 
Augustus  Caesar.— The  Triumvirate. —The  Augustan  Age 

of  Rome.— The  Birth  of  Our  Lord.  —Tiberius,  the  Vile. 

Date  of  Christ's  Baptism.— Rome's  League  with  the  Jews. 
—Caesar  and  Anthony.— The  Battle  of  Actium.  —Final 
Overthrow  of  Jerusalem. —What  is  Meant  by  Chittim  ?— 
The  Vandal  War.— The  "  Daily  "  Taken  Away. —Justin- 
ian's Famous  Decree.— The  Goths  Driven  from  Rome.— 
Long  Triumph  of  the  Papacy.— The  Atheistical  King.— 
The  French  Revolution  of  1793.— The  Bishop  of  Paris 
Declares  Himself  an  Atheist.  — Franoe  as  a  Nation  Rebels 
Against  the  Author  of  the  Universe. —The  Marriage  Cov- 
enant Annulled.— God  Declared- a  Phantom,  Christ  an 
Impostor.— Blasphemy  of  a  Priest  of  Illuminism.  — A  Dis- 
solute Female  the  Goddess  of  Reason. —Titles  of  the  No- 
bility Abolished.— Their  Estates  Confiscated. —The  Land 
Divided  for  Gain. —Termination  of  the  Reign  of  Ter- 
ror.—Time  of  the  End,  1798.— Triple  War  Between 
Egypt,  France  and  Turkey.— Napoleon's  Dream  of  East- 
ern Glory.— He  Diverts  the  War  from  England  to  Egypt. 
—His  Ambition  Embraces  all  Historical  Lands  of  the 
East.— Downfall  of  the  Papacy. —Embarkation  from  Tou- 


CONTENTS. 


Ion. — Alexandria  Taken. — Battle  of  the  Pyramids. — The 
Combat  Deepens. — Turkey,  the  King  of  the  North,  De- 
clares War  Against  France. — Napoleon's  Campaign  in  tke 
Holy  Land. — Beaten  at  Acre. — Retires  to  Egypt. — Called 
Back  to  France.  — Egypt  in  the  Power  of  Turkey.  — Tidings 
Out  of  the  East  and  North.— The  Crimean  War  of  1853.— 
Predicted  by  Dr.  Clarke  from  this  Prophecy  in  1825.— 
The  Sick  Man  of  the  East.— The  Eastern  Question.— 
What  is  It?— Russia's  Long-Cherished  Dream.— The 
Last  Will  and  Testament  of  Peter  the  Great.  —  Startling 
Facts  in  Russian  History. — The  Prophecy  of  Napoleon 
Bonaparte. — Kossuth's  Prediction. — Russia's  Defiant  At- 
titude in  1870.— The  Russo-Turkish  War  of  1877.— The 
Berlin  Congress. —Turkey  Bankrupt. —The  Whole  Em- 
pire Mortgaged  to  the  Czar. — Wonderful  Shrinkage  of 
Turkish  Territory. —The  Wonder  of  Statesmen. —The 
Eastern  Question  in  the  Future.  pp.  295—388 

CHAPTER    XII. 
CLOSING    SCENES. 

The  Reign  of  Christ. — The  Grand  Signal  of  its  Approach. — 
What  Events  are  Next  in  Order  ?— The  Time  of  Trouble. 
— The  Resurrection. — The  Key  to  the  Future. — Some  to 
Life,  Some  to  Shame.  — Promised  Rewards  of  the  Coming 
Day. — The  Sealed  Book  Opened. — Knowledge  Wonder- 
fully Increased. — The  Progress  of  a  Thousand  Years 
Made  in  Fifty.— The  Wise  Understand. —Daniel  Stands 
in  His  Lot.  pp.  389—416 


CONTENTS. 


THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION. 


CHAPTER     I. 
INTRODUCTORY     VISION. 

The  Title  and  Character  of  the  Book. — Its  Object. — Christ's 
Angel.— His  Benediction. — The  Churches  in  Asia. — The 
Seven  Spirits. — Prince  of  the  Kings  of  the  Earth. — His 
Coming  Visible. — The  Church's  Response. — John's  Ex- 
perience.— The  Cause  of  Banishment. — In  the  Spirit. — 
The  Lord's  Day. — Alpha  and  Omega. — The  Revelation  to 
be  Understood.  pp.  421—450 

CHAPTER    II. 

THE     SEVEN     CHURCHES. 

The  Church  of  Ephesus. — Definition. — The  Cause  of  Com- 
plaint.— The  Nicolaitanes. — The  Promise  to  the  Victor. 
—The  Tree  of  Life.— The  Church  in  Smyrna.— Tribula- 
tion Ten  Days.  — The  O vercomer's  Reward.  — The  Church 
in  Pergamos. — Satan's  Seat. — Antipas. — The  Cause  of 
Censure.  — The  Promise.  — The  New  Name.  — Thyatira.  — 
The  Woman  Jezebel.  pp.  451—475 

CHAPTER    III. 
THE     SEVEN    CHURCHES     CONTINUED. 

Sardis,  Definition  of.— White  Raiment.— The  Book  of  Life. 
Philadelphia  Defined.— The  Key  of  David.— Signification 
of  Laodicea. — Neither  Cold  nor  Hot. — The  Counsel. — 
The  Final  Promise.  pp.  476—504 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTEK    IY. 

THE     HEAVENLY     SANCTUARY. 

Four  and  Twenty  Elders.  — Seven  Lamps  of  Fire.  — The  Sea 
of  Glass.  —The  Happy  Unrest.  pp.  505—513 

CHAPTEK    Y. 

THE     HEAVENLY    SANCTUARY     CONTINUED. 

The  Book.— The  Angelic  Challenge.— Christ  Prevails. —  The 
Anticipation. — A  Clean  Universe.  pp.  514 — 529 

CHAPTEK    VI. 

THE    SEVEN    SEALS. 

Symbols  Explained. — Souls  Under  the  Altar. — The  Great 
Earthquake  at  Lisbon. — Darkening  of  the  Sun  and  Moon. 
— Falling  of  the  Stars. — An  Objection  Answered. — The 
Great  Prayer  Meeting.  pp.  530—567 

CHAPTER    VII. 
SEALING     OF     THE     144,000. 

Symbols  Explained. —The  Seal  of  God.— The  144,000.— 
The  True  Israel. — The  New  Jerusalem  a  Christian  City. 
—Out  of  the  Great  Tribulation.  pp.  568—591 

CHAPTER    VIII. 

THE     SEVEN     TRUMPETS. 

Encouragement  for  Christians. — Complement  of  Daniel's 
Prophecy. — Testimony  of  Standard  Historians. — Rome 
Divided. — The  Western  Empire  Extinguished. — Alaric, 
Genseric,  Attila,  and  Theodoric.  pp.  592 — 611 

CHAPTER    IX. 

THE     SEVEN     TRUMPETS     CONTINUED. 

Rome   and    Persia. — Chosroes   Overthrown. — The    Rise  of 

2 


CONTENTS. 


Mohammedanism. — The  Bottomless  Pit. — The  Five 
Month's  Torment. — An  Established  Date. — Surrender  to 
the  Turks  — Constantinople  Taken. — The  Use  of  Fire- 
arms Foretold. — Cessation  of  the  Ottoman  Supremacy. — 
A  Remarkable  Prophecy  Fulfilled.  pp.  012 — 636 

CHAPTEE    X. 

PROCLAMATION     OF     THE     ADVENT. 

The  Book  Opened.— The  Time  of  the  End.— Close  of  the 
Prophetic  Periods. — Sounding  of  the  Seventh  Trumpet. 
—The  Sweet  and  Bitter.  pp.  637—648 

CHAPTEE    XI. 

THE    TWO     WITNESSES. 

An  Important  Message. — The  French  Revolution  of  1793.— 
Spiritual  Sodom.— Crush  the  Wretch  !— The  Bible  Tri- 
umphant.— The  Nations  Angry. — God's  Temple  in 
Heaven  Opened.  pp.  649—664 

CHAPTEE    XII. 

THE     GOSPEL    CHURCH. 

A  Wonderful  Scene  in  Heaven. — Definite  Data. — Satan  De- 
feated.—The  Trial  of  the  Church.— The  Coming  Joy. 

pp.  665—674 

CHAPTEE    XIII. 

PERSECUTING     POWERS    PROFESSEDLY     CHRISTIAN. 

A  Change  of  Symbols. — The  Papacy. — Comparison  with  the 
Little  Horn  of  Daniel  7. — Deadly  Wound. — How  it  Was 
Healed. — Another  Beast. — The  United  States  in  Proph- 
ecy.— Wonderful  Growth  of  Our  Country. — "A  Place 
for  Everything,  and  Everything  in  its  Place. " — The  Com- 
ing Crisis. — The  Path  of  Safety. — The  Beginning  of  the 
End.— The  Number  of  His  Name.  pp,  675—698 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTEE    XIV. 

THE     THREE     MESSAGES. 

A  Glorious  Culmination.— The  144,000.— The  Proclamation 
of  the  Advent. — A  Moral  Fall. — The  Severest  Denuncia- 
tion of  Wrath  in  all  the  Bible. — The  Commandments  of 
God. — A  Blessing  on  the  Dead. — Wickedness  Swallowed 
Up.  pp.  699—720 

CHAPTEE    XV. 

THE     SEVEN    LAST     PLAGUES. 

Preparation  for  the  Plagues. — An  Impressive  Scene. — God's 
Judgments  Righteous. — Mercy  Withdrawn  from  the 
Earth.— The  Sea  of  Glass.— The  Glorious  Victory.— 
Well  with  the  Righteous.  pp.  721—723 

CHAPTEE    XVI. 

THE     PLAGUES     POURED     OUT. 

The  Plagues  of  Egypt. — Death  in  the  Sea. — Fountains  of 
Blood. — A  Scorching  Sun. — Egyptian  Darkness. — Decay 
of  Turkey. — The  Eastern  Question. — Spirits  of  Devils. — 
The  Battle  of  Armageddon. —The  Air  Infected.— Baby- 
lon Judged.— Terrific  Effects  of  the  Great  Hail.— Close 
of  the  Scene.  pp.  724—746 

CHAPTEE    XVII. 

BABYLON — THE     MOTHER. 

Church  and  State.— Different  Forms  of  Roman  Government. 
— The  Eighth  Head. — Waning  Away  of  Papal  Power. — 
Symbolic  Waters.  pp.  747 — 753 

CHAPTEE    XVIII. 

BABYLON — THE    DAUGHTERS. 
Popery  Beyond   Reformation. — Its   Influence  Still  Felt. — 


XX  CONTENTS. 


Apostate  Christendom. — Separation  Between  the  Good 
and  Bad. — Amazing  Judgments. — The  Will  for  the  Deed. 

pp.  754—766 

CHAPTEE    XIX. 

TRIUMPH     OF    THE    SAINTS. 

The  Marriage  of  the  Lamb. — The  Bride  the  Lamb's  Wife. — 
The  Marriage  Supper. — Heaven  Opened. — A  Startling 
Contrast.— The  Beast  Taken.— The  Lake  of  Fire. 

pp.  767—775 

CHAPTER    XX. 

THE     FIRST  AND    SECOND    RESURRECTIONS. 

The  Bottomless  Pit.— Binding  of  Satan.— Exaltation  of  the 
Saints. — The  Second  Resurrection. — The  Second  Lake  of 
Fire.— The  Sentence  Executed.  pp.  776—793 

CHAPTER    XXI. 

THE     NEW    JERUSALEM. 

The  New  Heaven  and  Earth.— The  Holy  City. —Wonderful 
Dimensions. — Precious  Stones. — The  Rainbow  Founda- 
tions.— No  Need  of  the  Sun.  pp.  794—811 

CHAPTER    XXII. 

THE     TREE     AND     RIVER     OF     LIFE. 

The  Home  of  Peace. — The  Tree  of  Life. — John's  Emotions. 
Without  the  City.— The  Gracious  Invitation.— "  Through 
the  Gates."— The  Lord's  Promise.— The  Church's  Re- 
sponse.—God  All  in  All.  pp.  812— 826 

GENERAL  INDEX,         .        .         .  827-840 


TJHI7-EI: 


**< 

THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 


INTRODUCTION. 


THAT  the  book  of  Daniel  was  written  by  the 
person  whose  name  it  bears,  there  is  no  reason  to 
doubt.  Ezekiel,  who  was  contemporary  with  Dan- 
iel, bears  testimony,  through  the  spirit  of  prophecy, 
to  his  piety  and  uprightness,  ranking  him  in  this 
respect  with  Noah  and  Job :  "  Or  if  I  send  a  pesti- 
lence into  that  land,  and  pour  out  my  fury  upon  it 
in  blood,  to  cut  off  from  it  man  and  beast ;  though 
Noah,  Daniel,  and  Job  were  in  it,  as  I  live,  saith 
the  Lord  God,  they  shall  deliver  neither  son  nor 
daughter ;  they  shall  but  deliver  their  own  souls  by 
their  righteousness."  Eze.  14:19,  20.  His  wis- 
dom, also,  even  at  that  early  day,  had  become  pro- 
verbial, as  appears  from  the  same  writer.  To  the 
prince  of  Tyrus,  he  was  directed  of  the  Lord  to  say, 
"Behold  thou  art  wiser  than  Daniel;  there  is  no 
secret  that  they  can  hide  from  thee."  Chap.  28  :  3. 
But  above  all,  our  Lord  recognized  him  as  a  prophet 
of  God,  and  bade  his  disciples  understand  the  pre- 
dictions given  through  him  for  the  benefit  of  his 
church :  "  When  ye  therefore  shall  see  the  abomi- 

(21) 


22  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

nation  of  desolation,  spoken  of  by  Daniel  the 
prophet,  stand  in  the  holy  place  (whoso  readeth, 
let  him  understand),  then  let  them  which  be  in 
Judea  flee  into  the  mountains."  Matt.  24  : 15,  16. 

Though  we  have  a  more  minute  account  of  his  early 
life  than  is  recorded  of  that  of  any  other  prophet,  yet 
his  origin  is  left  in  complete  obscurity,  except  that 
he  was  of  the  royal  line,  probably  of  the  house  of 
David,  which  had  at  this  time  become  very  numer- 
ous. He  first  appears  as  one  of  the  noble  captives 
of  Judah,  in  the  first  year  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  king 
of  Babylon,  at  the  commencement  of  the  seventy 
years'  captivity,  B.  c.  606.  Jeremiah  and  Habak- 
kuk  were  yet  uttering  their  prophecies.  Ezekiel 
commenced  soon  after,  and  a  little  later,  Obadiah ; 
but  both  these  finished  their  work  years  before  the 
close  of  the  long  and  brilliant  career  of  Daniel. 
Three  prophets  only  succeeded  him,  Haggai  and 
Zechariah,  who  exercised  the  prophetic  office  for  a 
brief  period  contemporaneously,  B.  c.  520-518,  and 
Malaehi,  the  last  of  the  Old-Testament  prophets, 
who  flourished  a  little  season,  about  B.  c.  397. 

Throughout  the  entire  period  of  the  seventy  years' 
captivity,  Daniel  resided  at  the  court  of  Babylon, 
most  of  the  time  in  honor  and  prosperity,  prime 
minister  of  that  first  and  most  splendid  of  earth's 
universal  monarchies.  His  life  affords  a  most  im- 
pressive lesson  of  the  importance  and  the  advantage 
of  maintaining  from  earliest  youth  a  strict  integrity 
in  the  things  of  God,  and  furnishes  a  notable  in- 
stance of  a  man  maintaining  eminent  piety,  and 


INTEOD  UCTION.  9  3 


faithfully  discharging  all  the  duties  that  pertain  to 
the  service  of  God,  while  at  the  same  time  engag- 
ing in  the  most  stirring  activities,  and  bearing  the 
weightiest  cares  and  responsibilities  that  can  de- 
volve upon  men  in  this  present  life. 

What  a  rebuke  is  his  course  to  men  at  the  pres- 
ent day,  who,  having  not  a  hundredth  part  of  the 
cares  to  absorb  their  time  and  engross  their  atten- 
tion that  Daniel  had,  yet  plead  as  an  excuse  for 
the  almost  utter  neglect  of  Christian  duties,  that 
they  have  not  time.  What  will  the  God  of  Daniel 
say  to  such  when  he  comes  to  reward  impartially 
his  servants  according  to  their  faithfulness  ? 

But  it  is  not  his  connection  with  the  Chaldean 
monarchy,  the  glory  of  kingdoms,  that  perpetuates 
the  memory  of  Daniel,  and  covers  his  name  with 
honor.  From  the  height  of  its  glory,  he  saw  that 
kingdom  decline  and  pass  into  other  hands.  Its 
period  of  greatest  prosperity  was  covered  by  the 
age  of  one  man.  So  brief  was  this  nation's  career, 
so  transient  its  glory.  But  Daniel  was  intrusted 
with  more  enduring  honors.  While  beloved  and 
honored  by  the  princes  and  potentates  of  Babylon, 
he  enjoyed  an  infinitely  higher  exaltation,  in  being 
beloved  of  God  and  his  holy  angels,  and  admitted 
to  a  knowledge  of  the  counsels  of  the  Most  High. 

His  prophecy  is,  in  many  respects,  the  most  re- 
markable of  any  in  the  sacred  record.  It  is  the 
most  comprehensive.  It  was  the  first  prophecy 
giving  a  consecutive  history  of  the  world  from  that 
time  to  the  end.  It  located  its  predictions  with 


24  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

well-defined  prophetic  periods,  though  reaching 
many  centuries  into  the  future.  It  gave  the  first 
definite  chronological  prediction  of  the  coming  of 
the  Messiah.  It  marked  the  time  of  this  event  so 
accurately  that  the  Jews  execrate  the  man  who  at- 
tempts to  interpret  its  numbers,  since  they  are 
thereby  shown  to  be  without  excuse  in  rejecting 
Christ ;  and  so  accurately  had  its  minute  and  literal 
predictions  been  fulfilled  down  to  the  time  of  Por- 
phyry, A.  D.  250,  that  he  declared  (the  only  loop- 
hole he  could  devise  for  his  stolid  skepticism)  that 
the  predictions  were  written  after  the  events  them- 
selves had  transpired.  Every  succeeding  century 
has  borne  additional  evidence  to  the  truthfulness  of 
the  prophecy ;  and  its  fulfillment  is  still  going 
forward. 

The  personal  history  of  Daniel  reaches  to  a  date 
a  few  years  subsequent  to  the  subversion  of  the 
Babylonian  kingdom  by  the  Medes  and  Persians. 
He  is  supposed  to  have  died  at  Shushan,  or  Susa,  in 
Persia,  aged  about  94  years ;  his  age  being  the  prob- 
able reason  why  he  returned  not  to  Judea  with 
other  Hebrew  captives,  under  the  proclamation  of 
Cyrus,  Ez.  1 : 1,  B.  c.  536,  which  marked  the  close 
of  the  seventy  years'  captivity. 


I. 


DANIEL    IN    CAPTIVITY. 

VERSE  1.  In  the  third  year  of  the  reign  of  Jehoiakim 
king  of  Judah  came  Nebuchadnezzar  king  of  Babylon  unto 
Jerusalem,  and  besieged  it.  2.  And  the  Lord  gave  Jehoia- 
kim king  of  Judah  into  his  hand,  with  part  of  the  vessels  of 
the  house  of  God,  which  he  carried  into  the  land  of  Shinar 
to  the  house  of  his  god  ;  and  he  brought  the  vessels  into  the 
treasure  house  of  his  god. 

With  a  directness  characteristic  of  the  sacred 
writers,  Daniel  enters  at  once  upon  his  subject. 
He  commences  in  the  simple,  historical  style,  that 
being  the  nature  of  his  book  till  we  reach  the 
seventh  chapter,  when  the  prophetical  portion, 
more  properly  so  called,  commences.  Like  one 
conscious  of  uttering  only  well-known  truth,  he 
proceeds  at  once  to  state  a  variety  of  particulars, 
by  which  his  accuracy  could  be  at  once  tested. 
Thus,  in  the  two  verses  quoted,  he  states  five  par- 
ticulars, purporting  to  be  historical  facts,  such  as 
no  writer  would  be  likely  to  introduce  into  a  fic- 
titious narrative:  1.  That  Jehoiakim  was  king  of 
Judah ;  2.  That  Nebuchadnezzar  was  king  of 
Babylon;  3.  That  the  latter  came  against  the 
former ;  4.  That  this  was  in  the  third  year  of  Je- 

(25) 


26  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

boiakim's  reign;  and,  5.  That  Jehoiakim  was 
given  into  the  hand  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  who  took 
a  portion  of  the  sacred  vessels  of  the  house  of  God, 
and  carrying  them  to  the  land  of  Shinar,  the 
country  of  Babylon,  Gen.  10:10,  placed  them  in 
the  treasure  house  of  his  heathen  divinity.  Subse- 
quent portions  of  the  narrative  abound  equally 
Avith  such  historical  facts. 

This  overthrow  of  Jerusalem  was  predicted  by 
Jeremiah  and  immediately  accomplished,  B.  c.  606. 
Jer.  25:8-11.  Jeremiah  places  this  captivity  in 
the  fourth  year  of  Jehoiakim,  Daniel  in  the  third. 
This  seeming  discrepancy  is  explained  by  the  fact 
that  Nebuchadnezzar  set  out  on  his  expedition 
near  the  close  of  the  third  year  of  Jehoiakim,  from 
which  point  Daniel  reckons.  But  he  did  not  ac- 
complish the  subjugation  of  Jerusalem  till  about 
the  ninth  month  of  the  year  following;  and  from 
this  year  Jeremiah  reckons.  Prideaux,  vol.  i,  pp. 
99,  100.  Jehoiakim,  though  bound  for  the  purpose 
of  being  taken  to  Babylon,  having  humbled  him- 
self, was  permitted  to  remain  as  ruler  in  Jerusa- 
lem, tributary  to  the  king  of  Babylon. 

This  was  the  first  time  Jerusalem  was  taken  by 
Nebuchadnezzar.  Twice  subsequently  the  city, 
having  revolted,  was  captured  by  the  same  king, 
being  more  severely  dealt  with  each  succeeding 
time.  Of  these  subsequent  overthrows  the  first 
was  under  Jehoiachin,  son  of  Jehoiakim,  when  all 
the  sacred  vessels  were  either  taken  or  destroyed, 
and  the  best  of  the  inhabitants,  with  the  king,  were 


CHA1>TER  7,    VERSES  1,  2.  97 

led  into  captivity.  The  second  was  under  Zede- 
kiah,  when  the  city  endured  the  most  formidable 
siege  it  ever  sustained  except  that  by  Titus,  in  A.  D. 
70.  During  the  two  years'  continuance  of  this  siege 
the  inhabitants  of  the  city  suffered  all  the  horrors 
of  famine.  At  length,  the  garrison  and  king,  at- 
tempting to  escape  from  the  city,  were  captured  by 
the  Chaldeans.  The  sons  of  the  king  were  slain 
before  his  face.  His  eyes  were  put  out,  and  he 
was  taken  to  Babylon ;  and  thus  was  fulfilled  the 
prediction  of  Ezekiel,  who  declared  that  he  should 
be  carried  to  Babylon,  and  die  there,  but  yet 
should  not  see  the  place.  Eze.  12 : 13.  The  city 
and  temple  were  at  this  time  utterly  destroyed, 
and  the  entire  population  of  the  city  and  country, 
with  the  exception  of  a  few  husbandmen,  were  car- 
ried captive  to  Babylon,  B.  c.  588. 

Such  was  God's  passing  testimony  against  sin. 
Not  that  the  Chaldeans  were  the  favorites  of 
Heaven ;  but  God  made  use  of  them  to  punish  the 
iniquities  of  his  people.  Had  the  Israelites  been 
faithful  to  God,  and  kept  his  Sabbath,  Jerusalem 
would  have  stood  forever.  Jer.  17:  24-27.  But 
they  departed  from  him  and  he  left  them.  They 
first  profaned  the  sacred  vessels  by  sin,  in  intro- 
ducing heathen  idols  among  them;  and  he  then 
profaned  them  by  judg-ments,  in  letting  them  go  as 
trophies  into  heathen  temples  abroad. 

During  these  days  of  trouble  and  distress  upon 
Jerusalem,  Daniel  and  his  companions  were  nour- 
ished and  instructed  in  the  palace  of  the  king  of 


28 


THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 


Babylon,  and,  though  captives  in  a  strange  land, 
were  doubtless  in  some  respects  much  more  favor- 
ably situated  than  they  could  have  been  in  their 
native  land. 

VERSE  3.  And  the  king  spake  unto  Ashpenaz  the  master 
of  his  eunuchs,  that  he  should  bring  certain  of  the  children 
of  Israel,  and  of  the  king's  seed,  and  of  the  princes ;  4 ; 
children  in  whom  was  no  blemish,  but  well-favored,  and 
skillful  in  all  wisdom,  and  cunning  in  knowledge,  and  under- 
standing science,  and  such  as  had  ability  in  them  to  stand  in 
the  king's  palace,  and  whom  they  might  teach  the  learning 
and  the  tongue  of  the  Chaldeans.  5.  And  the  king  ap- 
pointed them  a  daily  provision  of  the  king's  meat,  and  of  the 
wine  which  he  drank  ;  so  nourishing  them  three  years,  that 
at  the  end  thereof  they  might  stand  before  the  king. 

It  had  been  told  Hezekiah,  after  he  had  vain- 
gloriously  shown  to  the  messengers  of  the  king  of 
Babylon  all  the  treasures  and  holy  things  of  his 
palace  and  kingdom,  that  of  all  these  good  things 
nothing  should  be  left  which  should  not  be  carried 
as  trophies  to  the  city  of  Babylon ;  and  that  even 
his  own  children,  his  descendants,  should  be  taken 
away,  and  be  eunuchs  in  the  palace  of  the  king 
there.  2  Kings  20:14-18.  We  have  the  fulfill- 
ment of  this  prediction  in  the  verses  before  us.  It 
is  probable  that  Daniel  and  his  companions  were 
made  eunuchs ;  at  least  we  hear  nothing  of  their 
posterity,  which  can  be  more  easily  accounted  for 
on  this  hypothesis  than  on  any  other ;  though  some 
think  that  this  term  had  come  to  signify  office 
rather  than  condition. 

The  word  children,  as  applied  to  these  captives, 


CHAPTER  7,   VERSES  5-5.  29 

• 

is  not  to  be  taken  in  the  sense  to  which  it  is  limited 
at  the  present  time.  It  included  youth  also.  And 
we  learn  from  the  record  that  these  children  were 
already  skillful  in  all  wisdom,  cunning  in  knowl- 
edge, and  understanding  science,  and  had  ability  in 
them  to  stand  in  the  king's  palace.  In  other  words, 
they  had  already  acquired  a  good  degree  of  educa- 
tion, and  their  bodily  and  mental  powers  were  so 
far  developed  that  a  skillful  reader  of  human  nat- 
ure could  form  quite  an  accurate  estimate  of  their 
capabilities.  They  are  supposed  to  have  been  about 
eighteen  or  twenty  years  of  age. 

In  the  treatment  which  these  Hebrew  captives 
received,  we  see  an  instance  of  the  wise  policy,  the 
liberality,  and  the  tender-heartedness,  of  the  rising 
king  Nebuchadnezzar. 

First,  instead  of  choosing,  like  the  later  Persian 
king,  Ahasuerus,  young  women  for  the  gratification 
of  his  passions,  he  chose  young  men  who  should  be 
educated  in  all  matters  pertaining  to  the  kingdomj 
that  he  might  have  efficient  help  in  administering 
its  affairs. 

Secondly,  he  appointed  them  daily  provision  of 
his  own  meat  and  wine.  Instead  of  the  coarse  fare 
which  some  would  have  thought  good  enough  for 
captives,  he  offered  them  his  own  royal  viands. 

Thirdly,  he  continued  this  liberal  treatment  for 
the  space  of  three  years.  Thus  they  had  all  the 
advantages  which  the  kingdom  afforded.  Though 
captives,  they  were  royal  children,  and  they  were 
treated  as  such  by  the  humane  king  of  the  Chal- 
deans. 


30  THOUGHT'S  ON  DANIEL. 

.  The  question  arises  why 'these  persons  were  at 
once  selected  to  take  part,  after  suitable  prepara- 
tion, in  the  affairs  of  the  kingdom.  Were  there 
not  enough  native  Babylonians  to  fill  these  places 
of  trust  and  honor  ?  It  could  have  been  for  no 
other  reason  than  that  the  king  knew  that  the 
Chaldean  youth  could  not  compare  with  those  of 
Israel  in  ingenuity,  wit,  quickness  of  perception, 
and  every  excellence,  both  mental  and  physical. 
"  And  if  this  is  so,"  says  Henry,  "  what  a  shame 
that  a  people  of  so  much  wit  should  not  have  had 
wisdom  and  grace  enough  to  keep  from  falling 
under  the  displeasure  of  the  Almighty,  and  being 
led  into  captivity."  This  will  apply  to  the  fathers, 
more  than  to  these  children  who  thus  suffered  on 
account  of  the  iniquities  of  their-  ancestors. 

VERSE  6.  Now  among  these  were  of  the  children  of 
Judah,  Daniel,  Hananiah,  Mishael,  and  Azariah  :  7  :  unto 
whom  the  prince  of  the  eunuchs  gave  names ;  for  he  gave 
unto  Daniel  the  name  of  Belteshazzar  ;  and  to  Hananiah,  of 
Shadrach  ;  and  to  Mishael,  of  Meshach  ;  and  to  Azariah,  of 
Abed-nego. 

This  change  of  names  was  probably  made  on  ac- 
count of  the  signification  which  they  bore.  Thus, 
Daniel  signified  in  the  Hebrew,  God  is  my  Judge ; 
Hananiah,  Gift  of  the  Lord  ;  Mishael,  He  that  is  a 
strong  God ;  and  Azariah,  Help  of  the  Lord.  These 
names,  each  having  some  reference  to  the  true  God, 
and  signifying  some  connection  with  his  worship, 
were  changed  to  names  the  definition  of  which  bore 
a  like  relation  to  the  heathen  divinities  and  wor- 


CHAPTER  7,    VERSES  6-16. 


ship  of  the  Chaldeans.  Thus  Belteshazzar,  the 
name  given  to  Daniel,  signified,  Keeper  of  the  hid 
treasures  of  Bel  ;  Shadrach,  Inspiration  of  the  sun, 
which  the  Chaldeans  worshiped;  Meshach,  Of  the 
goddess  Shaca,  under  which  name  Venus  was  wor- 
shiped ;  and  Abed-nego,  Servant  of  the  shining  fire, 
which  they  also  worshiped. 

VERSE  8.  But  Daniel  purposed  in  his  heart  that  he  would 
not  defile  himself  with  the  portion  of  the  king's  meat,  nor 
with  the  wine  which  he  drank  ;  therefore  he  requested  of  the 
prince  of  the  eunuchs  that  he  might  not  defile  himself.  9. 
Now  God  had  brought  Daniel  into  favor  and  tender  love 
with  the  prince  of  the  eunuchs.  10.  And  the  prince  of  the 
eunuchs  said  unto  Daniel,  I  fear  my  lord  the  king,  who  hath 
appointed  your  meat  and  your  drink  ;  for  why  should  he  see 
your  faces  worse  liking  than  the  children  wliich  are  of  your 
sort  ?  then  shall  ye  make  me  endanger  my  head  to  the  king. 

11.  Then  said  Daniel  to  Melzar,  whom  the  prince  of  the  eu- 
nuchs had  set  over  Daniel,  Hananiah,  Mishael,  and  Azariah, 

12,  Prove  thy  servants,  I  beseech  thee,  ten  days  ;    and  let 
them  give  us  pulse  to  eat,  and  water  to  drink.     13.   Then  let 
our  countenances  be  looked  upon  before  thee,  and  the  coun- 
tenance of  the  children  that  eat  of  the  portion  of  the  king's 
meat  ;  and  as  thou  seest,  deal  with  thy  servants.     14.   So  he 
consented  to  them  in  this  matter,  and  proved  them  ten  days. 
15.   And  at  the  end  of  ten  days  their  countenances  appeared 
fairer  and  fatter  in  flesh  than  all  the  children  which  did  eat 
the  portion  of  the  king's  meat.     16.   Thus  Melzar  took  away 
the  portion  of  their  meat,  and  the  wine  that  they  should 
drink  ;  and  gave  them  pulse. 

Nebuchadnezzar  appears  upon  this  record  won- 
derfully free  from  bigotry.  It  seems  that  he  took 
no  means  to  compel  his  royal  captives  to  change 
their  religion.  Provided  they  had 


32  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

was  sufficient  for  him,  whether  it  was  the  religion 
he  professed  or  not.  And  although  their  names  had 
been  changed  to  signify  some  connection  with 
heathen  worship,  this  may  have  been  more  to  avoid 
the  use  of  Jewish  names  by  the  Chaldeans,  than  to 
indicate  any  change  of  sentiment  or  practice  on  the 
part  of  those  to  whom  these  names  were  given. 

Daniel  purposed  not  to  defile  himself  with  the 
king's  meat,  nor  with  his  wine.  Daniel  had  other 
reasons  for  this  course  than  simply  the  effect  of 
such  a  diet  upon  his  physical  system,  though  he 
would  derive  great  advantage  in  this  respect  from 
the  fare  he  proposed  to  adopt.  But  it  was  gen- 
erally the  case  that  the  meat  used  by  the  kings  and 
princes  of  heathen  nations,  they  being  the  high 
priests  of  their  religion,  was  first  ottered  in  sacrifice 
to  idols,  and  the  wine  they  used,  poured  out  as  a 
libation  before  them ;  and  again,  some  of  the  meat 
of  which  they  made  use,  was  pronounced  unclean 
by  the  Jewish  law ;  and  on  either  of  these  grounds 
Daniel  could  not,  consistently  with  his  religion,  par- 
take of  these  articles ;  hence  he  requested,  not  from 
any  morose  or  sullen  temper,  but  from  conscien- 
tious scruples,  that  he  might  not  be  obliged  to  defile 
himself ;  and  he  respectfully  made  his  request 
known  to  the  proper  officer.  The  prince  of  the  eu- 
nuchs feared  to  grant  Daniel's  request,  since  the 
king  himself  had  appointed  their  meat.  This 
shows  the  great  personal  interest  the  king  took  in 
these  persons.  He  did  not  commit  them  to  the 
hands  of  his  servants,  telling  them  to  care  for  them 


GHAPTEli  /,    VELi&ES  6-16.  33 

in  the  best  manner,  without  himself  entering  into 
its  details;  but  he  himself  appointed  their  meat 
and  drink ;  and  this  was  of  a  kind  which  was  hon- 
estly supposed  would  be  the  best  for  them,  inas- 
much as  the  prince  of  the  eunuchs  thought  that  a 
departure  from  it  would  render  them  poorer  in 
flesh  and  less  ruddy  of  countenance  than  those 
who  continued  it ;  and  thus  he  would  be  brought 
to  account  for  neglect  or  ill-treatment  of  them,  and 
so  lose  his  head.  Yet  it  was  equally  well  under- 
stood that  if  they  maintained  good  physical  con- 
ditions, the  king  would  take  no  exception  to  the 
means  used,  though  it  might  be  contrary  to  his 
own  express  direction.  It  appears  that  the  king's 
sincere  object  was  to  secure  in  them,  Toy  whatever 
means  it  could  be  done,  the  very  best  mental  and 
physical  development  that  could  be  attained.  How 
different  this  from  the  bigotry  and  tyranny  which 
usually  hold  supreme  control  over  the  hearts  of 
those  who  are  clothed  with  absolute  power.  In  the 
character  of  Nebuchadnezzar  we  shall  find  many 
things  worthy  of  our  highest  admiration. 

Daniel  requested  pulse  and  water  for  himself  and 
three  companions.  Pulse  was  a  vegetable  food  of 
the  leguminous  kind,  like  peas,  beans,  etc.  Bagster 
says,  "  Zeroim  denotes  all  leguminous  plants,  which 
are  not  reaped,  but  pulled  or  plucked,  which,  how- 
ever wholesome,  were  not  naturally  calculated  to 
render  them  fatter  in  flesh  than  the  others." 

A  ten  days'  trial  of  this  diet  resulting  favorably, 
they  were  permitted  to  continue  it  during  the 
3 


34  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

whole  course  of  their  training  for  the  duties  of  the 
palace.  Their  increase  in  flesh  and  improvement 
in  countenance,  which  took  place  during  these  ten 
days,  can  hardly  be  attributed  to  the  natural  result 
of  the  diet ;  for  it  would  not  produce  such  marked 
effects  in  so  short  a  time.  We  think  it  more  nat- 
ural to  conclude  that  this  result  was  produced  by  a 
special  interposition  of  the  Lord,  as  a  token  of  his 
approbation  of  the  course  on  which  they  had  en- 
tered, which  course,  if  persevered  in,  would  in  proc- 
ess of  time  lead  to  the  same  result,  through  the 
natural  operation  of  the  laws  of  their  being. 

VERSE  17.  As  for  these  four  children,  God  gave  them 
knowledge  and  skill  in  all  learning  and  wisdom  ;  and  Daniel 
had  understanding  in  all  visions  and  dreams.  18.  Now  at 
the  end  of  the  days  that  the  king  had  said  he  should  bring 
them  in,  then  the  prince  of  the  eunuchs  brought  them  in  be- 
fore Nebuchadnezzar.  19.  And  the  king  communed  with 
them;  and  among  them  all  was  found  none  like  Daniel, 
Hananiah,  Mishael,  and  Azariah ;  therefore  stood  they  before 
the  king.  20.  And  in  all  matters  of  wisdom  and  under- 
standing, that  the  king  inquired  of  them,  he  found  them  ten 
times  better  than  all  the  magicians  and  astrologers  that  were 
in  all  his  realm.  21.  And  Daniel  continued  even  unto  the 
first  year  of  King  Cyrus. 

To  Daniel  alone  seems  to  have  been  committed 
an  understanding  in  visions  and  dreams.  Remark- 
able instances,  the  record  of  which  is  here  omitted, 
had  doubtless  proved  his  gift  in  this  direction. 
Nor  does  the  Lord's  dealing  with  Daniel  in  this  re- 
spect prove  the  others  any  the  less  accepted  in  his 
sight.  Preservation  in  the  midst  of  the  fiery  fur- 


CHAPTER  /,   VERSES  17-21.  35 

nace  was  as  good  evidence  as  they  could  have  had  of 
the  divine  favor.  Daniel  probably  had  some  natu- 
ral qualifications  that  peculiarly  fitted  him  for  this 
work. 

The  same  personal  interest  heretofore  manifested 
by  the  king  in  these  individuals,  still  continued. 
At  the  end  of  the  three  years,  he  called  them  to  a 
personal  interview.  He  must  know  for  himself 
how  they  had  fared  and  what  proficiency  they  had 
made.  This  interview  also  shows  the  king  to  have 
been  a  man  well  versed  in  all  the  arts  and  sciences 
of  the  Chaldeans,  else  he  would  not  have  been  qual- 
ified to  examine  others  therein.  As  the  result,  rec- 
ognizing merit  wherever  he  saw  it,  without  respect 
to  religion  or  nationality,  he  acknowledged  them  to 
be  ten  times  superior  to  any  in  his  own  land. 

And  it  is  added  that  Daniel  continued  even  unto 
the  first  year  of  King  Cyrus.  This  is  an  instance 
of  the  somewhat  singular  use  of  the  word  unto,  or 
until,  which  occasionally  occurs  in  the  sacred  writ- 
ings. It  does  not  mean  that  he  continued  no 
longer  than  to  the  first  year  of  Cyrus ;  for  he  lived 
some  years  later.  But  this  is  the  time  to  which 
the  writer  wished  to  direct  especial  attention,  as  it 
brought  deliverance  to  the  captive  Jews.  In  a  sim- 
ilar way  the  word  is  used  in  Ps.  112  :  8 ;  and  Matt. 
5:18. 


II. 


THE    GREAT    IMAGE. 

VERSE  1.  And  in  the  second  year  of  the  reign  of  Nebu- 
chadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar  dreamed  dreams,  wherewith  his 
spirit  was  troubled,  and  his  sleep  brake  from  him. 

DANIEL  was  carried  captive  in  the  first  year  of 
Nebuchadnezzar.  For  three  years  he  was  placed 
under  instructors,  during  which  time  he  would  not, 
of  course,  be  reckoned  among  the  wise  men  of  the 
kingdom,  nor  take  part  in  public  affairs.  Yet  in 
the  second  year  of  Nebuchadnezzar  the  transactions 
recorded  in  this  chapter  took  place.  How,  then, 
could  Daniel  be  brought  in  to  interpret  the  king's 
dream  in  his  second  year  ?  The  explanation  lies  in 
the  fact  that  Nebuchadnezzar  reigned  for  two  years 
conjointly  with  his  father  Nabopollassar.  From  this 
point  the  Jews  reckoned ;  while  the  Chaldeans  reck- 
oned from  the  time  he  commenced  to  reign  alone,  on 
the  death  of  his  father.  Hence,  the  year  here  men- 
tioned was  the  second  year  of  his  reign,  according  to 
the  Chaldean  reckoning,  but  the  fourth,  according 
to  the  Jewish.  It  thus  appears  that  the  very  next 
year  after  Daniel  had  completed  his  preparation  to 
participate  in  the  affairs  of  the  Chaldean  Empire, 
the  providence  of  God  brought  him  into  sudden  and 
wonderful  notoriety  throughout  all  the  kingdom. 

(36) 


CHAPTER  II,   VERSE  2.  •     37 

VERSE  2.  Then  the  king  commanded  to  call  the  magicians, 
and  the  astrologers,  and  the  sorcerers,  and  the  Chaldeans, 
for  to  show  the  king  his  dreams.  So  they  came  and  stood 
before  the  king. 

The  magicians  were  such  as  practiced  magic,  us- 
ing the  term  in  its  bad  sense ;  that  is,  practiced  all 
the  superstitious  rights  and  ceremonies  of  fortune- 
tellers, casters  of  nativities,  etc.  Astrologers  were 
men  who  pretended  to  foretell  future  events  by  the 
study  of  the  stars.  The  science,  or  the  superstition, 
of  astrology,  was  extensively  cultivated  by  the  east- 
ern nations  of  antiquity.  Sorcerers  were  such  as 
pretended  to  hold  communication  with  the  dead. 
In  this  sense,  we  believe  it  is  always  used  in  the 
Scriptures.  Modern  spiritualism  is  simply  ancient 
heathen  sorcery  revived.  The  Chaldeans  here  men- 
tioned were  a  sect  of  philosophers  similar  to  the 
magicians  and  astrologers,  who  made  physic,  div- 
inations, etc.,  their  study.  All  these  sects  or  pro- 
fessions abounded  in  Babylon.  The  end  aimed  at 
by  each  was  the  same ;  namely,  the  explaining  of 
mysteries,  and  the  foretelling  of  future  events,  the 
principal  difference  between  them  being  the  means 
by  which  they  sought  to  accomplish  their  object. 
The  king's  difficulty  lay  equally  within  the  province 
of  each  to  explain ;  hence  he  summoned  them  all. 
With  the  king  it  was  an  important  matter.  He  was 
greatly  troubled,  and  therefore  concentrated  upon 
the  solution  of  his  perplexity  the  whole  wisdom  of 
his  realm. 

VEKSE  3.  And  the  king  said  unto  them,  I  have  dreamed 
a  dream,  and  my  spirit  was  troubled  to  know  the  dream. 


38  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

4.  Then  spake  the  Chaldeans  to  the  king  in  Syriac,  O  King, 
live  forever ;  tell  thy  servants  the  dream,  and  we  will  show 
the  interpretation. 

Whatever  else  the  ancient  magicians  and  astrolo- 
gers may  have  been  deficient  in,  they  seemed  to  have 
thoroughly  schooled  themselves  in  the  art  of  draw- 
ing out  sufficient  information  to  form  a  basis  for 
some  shrewd  calculation,  or  of  framing  their  an- 
swers in  so  ambiguous  a  manner  that  they  would 
be  equally  applicable,  let  the  event  turn  either  way. 
In  the  present  case,  true  to  their  cunning  instincts, 
they  called  upon  the  king  to  make  known  to  them 
his  dream.  If  they  could  get  full  information  re- 
specting this,  they  could  easily  agree  on  some  inter- 
pretation which  would  not  endanger  their  reputa- 
tion. They  addressed  themselves  to  the  king  in 
Syriac,  a  dialect  of  the  Chaldean  language  which 
was  used  by  the  educated  and  polished  classes. 
From  this  point  to  the  end  of  chapter  7,  the  record 
continues  in  Chaldaic. 

VERSE  5.  The  king  answered  and  said  to  the  Chaldeans, 
The  thing  is  gone  from  me  ;  if  ye  will  not  make  known  unto 
me  the  dream,  with  the  interpretation  thereof,  ye  shall  be 
cut  in  pieces,  and  your  houses  shall  be  made  a  dunghill.  6. 
But  if  ye  show  the  dream,  and  the  interpretation  thereof,  ye 
shall  receive  of  me  gifts  and  rewards  and  great  honor  ;  there- 
fore show  me  the  dream,  and  the  interpretation  thereof.  7. 
They  answered  again  and  said,  Let  the  king  tell  his  servants 
the  dream,  and  we  will  show  the  interpretation  of  it.  8. 
The  king  answered  and  said,  I  know  of  certainty  that  ye 
would  gain  the  time,  because  ye  see  the  thing  is  gone  from 
me.  9.  But  if  ye  will  not  make  known  unto  me  the  dream, 
there  is  but  one  decree  for  you  ;  for  ye  have  prepared  lying 


CHAPTER  II,    VERSES  5-13.  39 

and  corrupt  words  to  speak  before  me,  till  the  time  be 
changed  ;  therefore  tell  me  the  dream,  and  I  shall  know  that 
ye  can  show  me  the  interpretation  thereof.  10.  The  Chal- 
deans answered  before  the  king,  and  said,  There  is  not  a  man 
upon  the  earth  that  can  show  the  king's  matter ;  therefore 
there  is  no  king,  lord,  nor  ruler,  that  asked  such  things  at 
any  magician,  or  astrologer,  or  Chaldean.  11.  And  it  is  a 
rare  thing  that  the  king  requireth,  and  there  is  none  other 
that  can  show  it  before  the  king,  except  the  gods,  whose 
dwelling  is  not  with  flesh.  12.  For  this  cause  the  king  was 
angry  and  very  furious,  and  commanded  to  destroy  all  the 
wise  men  of  Babylon.  13.  And  the  decree  went  forth  that 
the  wise  men  should  be  slain  ;  and  they  sought  Daniel  and 
his  fellows  to  be  slain. 

These  verses  contain  the  record  of  the  desperate 
struggle  between  the  wise  men,  so  called,  and  the 
king;  the  former  seeking  some  avenue  for  escape, 
seeing  they  were  caught  on  their  own  ground,  and 
the  latter  determined  that  they  should  make  known 
his  dream,  which  was  no  more  than  their  profession 
would  warrant  him  in  demanding.  Some  have  se- 
verely censured  Nebuchadnezzar  in  this  matter,  as 
acting  the  part  of  a  heartless,  unreasonable  tyrant. 
But  what  did  these  magicians  profess  to  be  able  to 
do  ?  To  reveal  hidden  things ;  to  foretell  future 
events ;  to  make  known  mysteries  entirely  beyond 
human  foresight  and  penetration ;  and  to  do  this 
by  the  aid  of  supernatural  agencies.  If,  then,  their 
claim  was  worth  anything,  could  they  not  make 
known  to  the  king  what  he  had  dreamed  ?  They 
certainly  could.  And  if  they  were  able,  knowing  the 
dream,  to  give  a  reliable  interpretation  thereof, 
would  they  not  also  be  able  to  make  known  the 


THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 


dream  itself  when  it  had  gone  from  the  king  ?  Cer- 
tainly, if  there  was  any  virtue  in  their  pretended 
intercourse  with  the  other  world.  There  was  there- 
fore nothing  unjust  in  Nebuchadnezzar's  demand 
that  they  should  make  known  his  dream.  And 
when  they  declared,  verse  11,  that  none  but  the 
gods  whose  dwelling  was  not  with  flesh  could  make 
known  the  king's  matter,  it  was  a  tacit  acknowl- 
edgment that  they  had  no  communication  with 
these  gods,  and  knew  nothing  beyond  what  human 
wisdom  and  discernment  could-  reveal.  For  this 
cause,  the  king  was  angry  and  very  furious.  He 
saw  that  he  and  all  his  people  were  being  made  the 
victims  of  deception.  He  accused  them,  verse  9, 
of  endeavoring  to  dally  along  till  the  "time  be 
changed,"  or  till  the  force  of  the  matter  had  so 
passed  from  his  mind  that  his  anger  at  their  du- 
plicity should  abate,  and  he  either  recall  the  dream 
himself,  or  be  unsolicitous  whether  it  were  made 
known  and  interpreted  or  not.  And  while  we  can- 
not justify  the  extreme  measures  to  which  he  re- 
sorted, dooming  them  to  death,  and  their  houses  to 
destruction,  we  can  but  feel  a  hearty  sympathy 
with  him  in  his  condemnation  of  a  class  of  miser- 
able impostors.  The  severity  of  his  sentence  was 
probably  more  owing  to  the  customs  of  those  times, 
than  to  any  malignity  on  the  part  of  the  king. 
Yet  it  was  a  bold  and  desperate  step.  Consider 
who  these  were  who  thus  incurred  the  wrath  of  the 
king.  They  were  numerous,  opulent,  and  influen- 
tial sects.  Moreover,  they  were  the  learned  and 


GHA  PTER  II,   VERSES  14-18.  41 

cultivated  classes  of  those  times ;  yet  the  king  was 
not  so  wedded  to  his  false  religion  as  to  spare  it 
even  with  all  this  influence  in  its  favor.  If  the 
system  was  one  of  fraud  and  imposition,  it  must 
fall,  however  high  its  votaries  might  stand  in  num- 
bers or  position,  or  however  many  of  them  might 
be  involved  in  its  ruin.  The  king  would  be  no 
party  to  dishonesty  or  deception. 

VERSE  14.  Then  Daniel  answered  with  counsel  and  wis- 
dom to  Arioch  the  captain  of  the  king's  guard,  which  was 
gone  forth  to  slay  the  wise  men  of  Babylon.  15.  He  an- 
swered and  said  to  Arioch  the  king's  captain,  Why  is  the 
decree  so  hasty  from  the  king  ?  Then  Arioch  made  the  thing 
known  to  Daniel.  16.  Then  Daniel  went  in,  and  desired  of 
the  king  that  he  would  give  him  time,  and  that  he  would 
show  the  king  the  interpretation.  17.  Then  Daniel  went  to 
his  house,  and  made  the  thing  known  to  Hananiah,  Mishael, 
and  Azariah,  his  companions  ;  18  ;  That  they  would  desire 
mercies  of  the  God  of  Heaven  concerning  this  secret ;  that 
Daniel  and  his  fellows  should  not  perish  with  the  rest  of  the 
wise  men  of  Babylon. 

In  this  narrative  we  see  the  providence  of  God 
working  in  several  remarkable  particulars. 

1.  It  was  providential  that  the  dream  of  the 
king  should  leave  such  a  powerful  impression  upon 
him  as  to  raise  him  to  the  greatest  height  of  anx- 
iety, and  yet  the  thing  itself  be  held  from  his  mind. 
This  led  to  the  complete  exposure  of  the  false  sys- 
tem of  the  magicians,  etc. ;  for  when  put  to  the  test 
to  make  known  the  dream,  it  was  found  that  they 
were  unable  to  do  what  their  profession  made  in- 
cumbent on  them. 


42  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

2.  It  was  remarkable  that  Daniel  and  his  com- 
panions, so  lately  pronounced  by  the  king  ten  times 
better  than  all  his  magicians  and  astrologers,  should 
not  sooner  have  been  consulted,  or  rather,  should 
not  have  been  consulted  at  all,  in  this  matter.     But 
there  was  a  providence  in  this.     Just  as  the  dream 
was  held  from  the  king,  so  he  was  unaccountably 
held  from  appealing  to  Daniel  for  a  solution  of  his 
mystery.     For  had  he  called  on  Daniel  at  first,  and 
had  he  at  once  made  known  the  matter,  the  magi- 
cians would  not  have  been  brought  to  the  test.     But 
God  would  let  the  heathen  systems  of  the  Chal- 
deans have  the  first  chance.     He  would  let  them 
try  and  ignominiously  fail,  and  confess  their  utter 
incompetency,  even   under  the   penalty  of   death, 
that  they  might  be  the  better  prepared  to  acknowl- 
edge his  hand  when  he  should  finally  reach  it  down 
in  behalf  of  his  captive  servants,  and  for  the  honor 
of  his  own  name. 

3.  It  appears  that  the  first  intimation  Daniel  had 
of  the  matter  was  the  presence  of  the  executioners 
come  for  his  arrest.     His  own  life  being  thus  at 
stake,  he  would  be  led  to  seek  the  Lord  with  all  his 
heart   till   he   should  work  for   their   deliverance. 
Daniel  gains  his  request  of  the  king  for  time  to 
consider  the    matter;    a  privilege  which  probably 
none  of  the  magicians  could  have  secured,  as  the 
king  had  already  accused  them  of  preparing  lying 
and  corrupt  words,  and  of  seeking  to  gain  time  for 
this  very  purpose.     Daniel  at  once  went  to  his  three 
companions,  and  engaged  them  to  unite  with  him  in 


CHAPTER  77,    VEltSES  19-23.  43 

desiring  mercy  of  the  God  of  Heaven  concerning 
this  secret.  He  could  have  prayed  alone,  and 
would  doubtless  have  been  heard;  but  then,  as 
now,  in  the  union  of  God's  people  is  prevailing 
power ;  and  the  promise  of  the  accomplishment  of 
that  which  is  asked,  is  to  the  two  or  three  who 
shall  agree  concerning  it. 

VERSE  19.  Then  was  the  secret  revealed  unto  Daniel  in  a 
night  vision.  Then  Daniel  blessed  the  God  of  Heaven.  20. 
Daniel  answered  and  said,  Blessed  be  the  name  of  God  for- 
ever and  ever ;  for  wisdom  and  might  are  his  ;  21 ;  And  he 
changeth  the  times  and  the  seasons ;  he  removeth  kings, 
and  setteth  up  kings  ;  he  giveth  wisdom  unto  the  wise,  and 
knowledge  to  them  that  know  understanding,  22,  He  re- 
vealeth  the  deep  and  secret  things  ;  he  knoweth  what  is  in 
the  darkness,  and  the  light  dwelleth  with  him.  23.  I  thank 
thee,  and  praise  thee,  0  thou  God  of  my  fathers,  who  hast 
given  me  wisdom  and  might,  and  hast  made  known  unto  me 
now  what  we  desired  of  thee  ;  for  thou  hast  now  made  known 
unto  us  the  king's  matter. 

Whether  or  not  the  answer  came  while  Daniel 
and  his  companions  were  yet  offering  up  their  pe- 
titions, we  are  not  informed.  If  it  did,  it  shows 
their  importunity  in  the  matter ;  for  it  was  through 
a  night  vision  that  God  revealed  himself  in  their 
behalf,  which  w^ould  show  that  they  continued  their 
supplications,  as  might  reasonably  be  inferred,  far 
into  the  night,  and  ceased  not  till  the  answer  was 
obtained.  Or,  if  their  season  of  prayer  had  closed, 
and  God  at  a  subsequent  time  sent  the  answer,  it 
would  show  us,  as  is  sometimes  the  case,  that 
prayers  are  not  unavailing  though  not  immediately 


THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 


answered.  Some  think  the  matter  was  made 
known  to  Daniel  by  his  dreaming  the  same  dream 
that  Nebuchadnezzar  had  dreamed  ;  but  Matthew 
Henry  considers  it  more  probable  that  "  when  he 
was  awake,  and  continuing  instant  in  prayer,  and 
watching  in  the  same,  the  dream  itself  and  the  in- 
terpretation of  it  were  communicated  to  him  by 
the  ministry  of  an  angel,  abundantly  to  his  satis- 
faction." The  words  "night  vision"  mean  anything 
that  is  seen,  whether  through  dreams  or  visions. 

Daniel  immediately  offered  up  praise  to  God  for 
his  gracious  dealing  with  them  ;  and  while  his 
prayer  is  not  preserved,  his  responsive  thanksgiving 
is  fully  recorded.  God  is  honored  by  our  rendering 
him  praise  for  the  things  he  has  done  for  us,  as  well 
as  by  our  acknowledging  through  prayer  our  need 
of  his  help.  Let  Daniel's  course  be  our  example  in 
this  respect.  Let  no  mercy  from  the  hand  of  God 
fail  of  its  due  return  of  thanksgiving  and  praise. 
Were  not  ten  lepers  cleansed  ?  Where  are  the 
nine  ? 

Daniel  had  the  utmost  confidence  in  what  had 
been  shown  him.  He  did  not  first  go  to  the  king, 
to  see  if  what  had  been  revealed  to  him  was  indeed 
the  king's  dream  ;  but  he  immediately  praised  God 
for  having  answered  his  prayer. 

Although  the  matter  was  revealed  to  Daniel,  he 
did  not  take  honor  to  himself  as  though  it  was  by 
his  pray  ers  alone  that  this  thing  had  been  obtained, 
but  immediately  associated  his  companions  with 
himself,  and  acknowledged  it  to  be  as  much  an  an- 


CHAPTER  II,    VERSE  £4.  4,5 

swer  to  their  prayers  as  to  his  own.  It  was,  said 
he,  "  what  we  desired  of  Thee,"  and  thou  hast  made 
it  "  known  unto  us" 

VERSE  24.  Therefore  Daniel  went  in  unto  Arioch,  whom 
the  king  had  ordained  to  destroy  the  wise  men  of  Babylon  ; 
he  went  and  said  thus  unto  him  :  Destroy  not  the  wise  men 
of  Babylon  ;  bring  me  in  before  the  king,  and  I  will  show 
unto  the  king  the  interpretation. 

Daniel's  first  plea  is  for  the  wise  men  of  Babylon. 
Destroy  them  not ;  for  the  king's  secret  is  revealed. 
True,  it  was  through  no  merit  of  theirs  or  their 
heathen  systems  of  divination  that  this  revelation 
was  made ;  they  were  worthy  of  just  as  much  con- 
demnation as  before.  But  their  own  confession  of 
utter  impotence  in  the  matter  was  humiliation 
enough  for  them;  and  Daniel  was  anxious  that 
they  should  so  far  partake  of  the  benefits  shown  to 
him  as  to  have  their  lives  spared.  Thus  they  were 
saved  because  there  was  a  man  of  God  among  them. 
And  thus  it  ever  is.  For  the  sake  of  Paul  and 
Silas,  the  bands  of  all  the  prisoners  were  loosed. 
Acts  16  :  26.  For  the  sake  of  Paul,  the  lives  of  all 
that  sailed  with  him  were  saved.  Chap.  27 :  24. 
These  are  but  specimens  of  the  countless  instances 
all  along  the  track  of  time  in  which  the  wicked 
have  been  benefited  by  the  blessings  of  the  right- 
eous. Well  would  it  be  if  they  would  remember 
the  obligations  under  which  they  are  thus  placed. 
And  what  saves  the  world  now  ?  For  whose  sake 
is  it  still  spared  ?  For  the  sake  of  the  few  right- 
eous persons  who  are  yet  left.  Remove  these,  and 


40  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

how  long  would  the  wicked  be  suffered  to  run  their 
guilty  career  ?  No  longer  than  the  Sodomites  were 
suffered,  after  Lot  had  departed  from  their  polluted 
and  polluting  presence.  Yet  the  wicked  will  de- 
spise, ridicule,  and  oppress,  the  very  ones  on  whose 
account  it  is  that  they  are  still  permitted  the  en- 
joyment of  life  and  all  its  blessings. 

VERSE  25.  Then  Ariocli  brought  in  Daniel  before  the  king 
in  haste,  and  said  thus  unto  him,  I  have  found  a  man  of  the 
captives  of  Judah,  that  will  make  known  unto  the  king  the 
interpretation. 

It  is  ever  a  characteristic  of  ministers  and  court- 
iers to  ingratiate  themselves  with  their  sovereign. 
So  here  Arioch  represented  that  he  had  found  a 
man  who  could  make  known  the  desired  interpre- 
tation ;  as  though  with  great  disinterestedness  in 
behalf  of  the  king,  he  had  been  searching  for  some 
one  to  solve  his  difficulty,  and  had  at  last  found 
him.  In  order  to  see  through  this  deception  of  his 
chief  executioner,  the  king  had  but  to  remember,  as 
he  probably  did,  his  interview  with  Daniel,  verse 
16,  and  Daniel's  promise,  if  time  could  be  granted, 
to  show  the  interpretation  thereof. 

VERSE  26.  The  king  answered  and  said  to  Daniel,  whose 
name  was  Belteshazzar,  Art  thou  able  to  make  known  unto 
me  the  dream  which  I  have  seen,  and  the  interpretation 
thereof  1  27.  Daniel  answered  in  the  presence  of  the  king, 
and  said,  The  secret  which  the  king  hath  demanded  cannot 
the  wise  men,  the  astrologers,  the  magicians,  the  soothsayers, 
show  unto  the  king  ;  28  ;  But  there  is  a  God  in  Heaven  that 
revealeth  secrets,  and  maketh  known  to  the  king  Nebuchad- 


CHAPTER  II,    VERSES  29,  30.  47 

nezzar  what  shall  be  in  the  latter  days.     Thy  dream  and  the 
visions  of  thy  head  upon  thy  bed  are  these. 

Art  thou  able  to  make  known  the  dream  ?  was 
the  king's  doubtful  salutation  to  Daniel,  as  he  came 
into  his  presence.  Notwithstanding  his  previous 
experience,  the  king  seems  to  have  questioned  Dan- 
iel's ability,  so  young  and  inexperienced,  to  make 
known  a  matter  in  which  the  aged  and  venerable 
magicians  and  soothsayers  had  utterly  failed.  Dan- 
iel declared  plainly  that  the  wise  men,  the  astrol- 
ogers, the  soothsayers,  and  magicians,  could  not 
make  known  this  secret.  It  was  beyond  their 
power.  Therefore  the  king  should  not  be  angry 
with  them,  nor  put  confidence  in  their  inefficient 
superstitions.  He  then  proceeds  to  make  known 
the  true  God  who  rules  in  Heaven,  and  is  the  only 
revealer  of  secrets.  And  he  it  is,  says  Daniel,  who 
maketh  known  to  the  king  Nebuchadnezzar  what 
shall  be  in  the  latter  days. 

VERSE  29.  As  for  thee,  O  King,  thy  thoughts  came  into 
thy  mind  upon  thy  bed,  what  should  come  to  pass  hereafter ; 
and  He  that  revealeth  secrets  maketh  known  to  thee  what 
shall  come  to  pass.  30.  But  as  for  me,  this  secret  is  not  re- 
vealed to  me  for  any  wisdom  that  I  have  more  than  any  liv- 
ing, but  for  their  sakes  that  shall  make  known  the  interpre- 
tation to  the  king,  and  that  thou  mightest  know  the  thoughts 
of  thy  heart. 

Here  is  brought  out  another  of  the  commendable 
traits  of  Nebuchadnezzar's  character.  Unlike  some 
rulers  who  fill  up  the  present  with  folly  and  de- 
bauchery, without  regard  to  the  future,  he  thought 


48  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

forward  upon  the  days  to  come,  with  an  anxious 
desire  to  know  with  what  events  they  should  be 
filled;  doubtless  that  he  might  the  better  know 
how  to  make  a  wise  improvement  of  the  present. 
For  this  reason  God  gave  him  this  dream,  which  we 
must  regard  as  a  token  of  the  divine  favor  toward 
this  king ;  as  there  were  many  other  ways  in  which 
the  truth  involved  in  his  dream  could  have  been 
brought  out,  equally  to  the  honor  of  God's  name> 
and  the  good  of  his  people  at  that  time,  and  the 
benefit  of  subsequent  generations.  Yet  God  would 
not  work  for  the  king  independently  of  his  own 
people;  hence,  though  he  gave  the  dream  to  the 
king,  he  sent  the  interpretation  through  one  of  his 
own  acknowledged  servants.  Daniel  first  dis- 
claimed all  credit,  for  himself  in  the  transaction, 
and  then  to  modify  somewhat  the  feelings  of  pride 
which  it  would  have  been  natural  for  the  king  to 
have,  in  view  of  being  thus  noticed  by  the  God  of 
high  Heaven,  he  informed  him  indirectly  that,  al- 
though the  dream  had  been  given  to  him,  it  was 
not  for  his  sake  altogether  that  the  interpretation 
was  sent,  but  for  their  sakes  through  whom  it 
should  be  made  known.  Ah  !  God  had  some  serv- 
ants there,  and  it  was  for  them  that  he  was  work- 
ing. They  are  of  more  value  in  his  sight  than  the 
mightiest  kings  and  potentates  of  earth.  Had  it 
not  been  for  them,  the  king  would  never  have  had 
the  interpretation  of  his  dream,  probably  not  even 
the  dream  itself.  Thus,  when  traced  to  their 
source,  all  favors,  upon  whomsoever  bestowed,  are 


B.C. 

677 


PLATE  L— IMAGE  OF  DANIEL  II. 


CHAPTER  II,    VERSES  31-35.  49 

found  to  be  due  to  the  regard  which  God  has  for 
his  own  children.  How  comprehensive  was  the 
work  of  God  in  this,  instance.  By  this  one  thing  of 
revealing  the  king's  dream  to  Daniel,  he  accom- 
plished the  following  objects:  1.  He  made  known  to 
the  king  the  things  he  desired.  2.  He  saved  his 
servants  who  trusted  in  him.  3.  He  brought  con- 
spicuously before  the  Chaldean  nation  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  true  God.  4.  He  poured  contempt  on 
the  false  systems  of  the  soothsayers  and  magicians. 
And,  5.  He  honored  his  own  name,  and  exalted  his 
servants  in  their  eyes. 

VERSE  31.  Thou,  O  King,  sawest,  and  behold  a  great  im- 
age. This  great  image,  whose  brightness  was  excellent,  stood 
before  thee  :  and  the  form  thereof  was  terrible.  32.  This 
image's  head  was  of  fine  gold,  his  breast  and  his  arms  of 
silver,  his  belly  and  his  thighs  of  brass,  33,  His  legs  of  iron, 
his  feet  part  of  iron  and  part  of  clay.  34.  Thou  sawest  till 
that  a  stone  was  cut  out  without  hands,  which  smote  the 
image  upon  his  feet  that  were  of  iron  and  clay,  and  brake 
them  to  pieces.  35.  Then  was  the  iron,  the  clay,  the  brass, 
the  silver,  and  the  gold,  broken  to  pieces  together,  and  be- 
came like  the  chaff  of  the  summer  threshing-floors  ;  and  the 
wind  carried  them  away,  that  no  place  was  found  for  them  ; 
and  the  stone  that  smote  the  image  became  a  great  mount- 
ain, and  filled  the  whole  earth, 

Nebuchadnezzar,  according  to  the  Chaldean  relig- 
ion, was  an  idolater.  An  image  was  an  object  which 
would  at  once  command  his  attention  and  respect. 
Moreover,  earthly  kingdoms,  which,  as  we  shall  here- 
after see,  were  represented  by  this  image,  were  ob- 
jects of  esteem  and  value  in  his  eyes.  With  a  mind 
4 


50  THOUGHTS  ON  DA  it  I  EL. 

unenlightened  by  the  light  of  revelation,  he  was  un- 
prepared to  put  a  true  estimate  upon  earthly  wealth 
and  glory,  and  to  look  upon  earthly  governments  in 
their  true  light.  Hence  the  striking  harmony  be- 
tween the  estimate  which  he  put  upon  these  things, 
and  the  object  by  which  they  were  symbolized  be- 
fore him.  To  him  they  were  presented  under  the 
form  of  a  great  image,  an  object  in  his  eyes  of  re- 
spect and  admiration.  With  Daniel,  the  case  was  far 
^different ;  and  to  him  these  same  earthly  kingdoms 
were  afterward  shown  under  the  form  of  cruel  and 
ravenous  wild  beasts. 

But  how  admirably  adapted  was  this  representa- 
tion to  convey  a  great  and  needful  truth  to  the  mind 
of  Nebuchadnezzar.  Besides  delineating  the  progress 
of  events  through  the  whole  course  of  time,  for  the 
benefit  of  his  people,  God  would  show  Nebuchad- 
nezzar the  utter  emptiness  and  worthlessness  of 
earthly  pormp  and  glory  ;  and  how  could  this  be 
more  impressively  done  than  by  an  image  commenc- 
ing with  the  most  precious  of  metals,  and  continually 
descending  to  the  baser,  till  we  finally  have  the 
coarsest  and  crudest  of  metals,  iron,  mingled  with 
the  miry  clay ;  the  whole  then  dashed  to  pieces,  and 
made  like  the  empty  chaff,  no  good  thing  in  it,  but 
altogether  lighter  than  vanity,  and  finally  blown 
away  where  no  place  could  be  found  for  it,  after 
which  something  durable  and  of  heavenly  worth  oc- 
cupies its  place.  So  would  God  show  to  the  children 
of  men,  that  earthly  kingdoms  were  to  pass  away, 
and  earthly  greatness  and  glory,  like  a  gaudy  bubble, 


VHAPTEH  II,    VEXSES  36-38.        ;  51 

would  break  and  vanish;  and  the  kingdom  of  God, 
in  the  place  so  long  usurped  by  these,  should  be  set 
up  to  have  no  end,  and  all  who  had  an  interest 
therein,  should  rest  under  the  shadow  of  its  peaceful 
wings  forever  and  ever.  But  this  is  anticipating. 

VERSE  36.  This  is  the  dream;  and  we  will  tell  the  inter- 
pretation thereof  before  the  king.  37.  Thou,  O  King,  art  a 
king  of  kings;  for  the  God  of  heaven  hath  given  thee  a 
kingdom,  power,  and  strength,  and  glory.  38.  And  where- 
soever the  children  of  men  dwell,  the  beasts  of  the  field  and 
the  fowls  of  the  heaven  hath  he  given  into  thine  hand,  and 
hath  made  thee  ruler  over  them  all.  Thou  art  this  head  of 
gold. 

Now  opens  one  of  the  sublimest  chapters  of  human 
history.  Eight  short  verses  of  the  inspired  record 
tell  the  whole  story;  yet  that  story  embraces  the 
history  of  this  world's  pomp  and  power.  A  few 
moments  will  suffice  to  commit  it  to  memory,  yet  the 
period  which  it  covers,  dating  from  twenty-four 
centuries  in  the  past,  reaches  on  down  past  the  rise 
and  fall  of  kingdoms,  past  the  setting  up  and  over- 
throw of  empires,  past  cycles  and  ages,  past  our  own 
day,  over  into  the  eternal  state.  It  is  so  compre- 
hensive that  it  embraces  ah1  this ;  yet  it  is  so  minute 
that  it  gives  us  all  the  great  outlines  of  earthly  king- 
doms from  that  time  to  this.  Human  wisdom  never 
devised  so  brief  a  record  which  embraced  so  much. 
Human  language  never  set  forth,  in  fewer  words,  a 
greater  volume  of  historical  truth.  The  finger  of 
God  is  here.  Let  us  heed  the  lesson  well. 

With  what  interest,  as  well  as  astonishment,  must 


52  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

the  king  have  listened  to  the  words  of  the  prophet, 
as  he  informed  him  that  he,  or  rather  his  kingdom,  the 
king  being  here  put  for  his  kingdom  (see  the  following 
verse),  was  the  golden  head  of  the  magnificent  image 
which  he  had  seen.  Ancient  kings  were  grateful  for 
success ;  and  in  cases  of  prosperity,  the  tutelar  deity 
to  whom  they  attributed  their  success,  was  to  them 
the  adorable  object  upon  which  they  would  lavish 
their  richest  treasures,  and  bestow  their  best  devo- 
tions. Daniel  indirectly  informs  the  king  that  in  his 
case  all  these  are  due  to  the  God  of  Heaven,  since  he 
is  the  one  who  has  given  him  his  kingdom,  and  made 
him  ruler  over  all.  This  would  restrain  him  from 
the  pride  of  thinking  that  he  had  attained  his  posi- 
tion by  his  own  power  and  wisdom,  and  would  enlist 
the  gratitude  of  his  heart  toward  the  true  God. 

The  Babylonish  Empire,  this  head  of  gold,  was 
founded  by  Belesis,  called  also  Nabonassar,  and  in  the 
Scriptures  called  Baladan,  B.  c.  747.  Arising  from 
the  ancient  Assyrian  Empire,  founded  by  Nimrod, 
Gen.  10  :  9,  10,  which  had  governed  Asia  for  about 
thirteen  hundred  years,  it  reached  the  summit  of  its 
glory  under  Nebuchadnezzar,  who  added  to  his  orig- 
inal dominions  the  provinces  of  Asia  Minor,  Phoenicia, 
Egypt,  Syria,  and  Palestine.  These,  with  the  empire 
of  Babylon  proper,  embraced  all  the  then  known 
world  of  any  national  influence  or  power.  See 
"  Prideaux's  Connexion." 

We  do  not  take  it  to  be  necessary  that  Babylon, 
to  be  called  a  universal  kingdom,  should  have  had 
every  class  of  people  and  every  country  in  the  world 


CHAPTER  II,   VERSES  36-38.  53 

absolutely  under  its  sway ;  for  this  was  not  in  a  strict 
sense  the  fact  with  any  one  of  the  kingdoms  which 
are  called  in  history  universal  kingdoms.  Babylon 
never  conquered  Grecia  nor  Rome ;  but  Rome  was 
founded  before  Babylon  had  risen  to  the  climax  of  its 
power.  Rome's  position  and  influence,  however,  were 
then  altogether  prospective ;  and  it  is  nothing  against 
the  prophecy  that  God  begins  to  prepare  his  agents 
long  years  before  they  enter  upon  the  prominent 
part  they  are  to  perform  in  the  fulfillment  of  proph- 
ecy. We  must  place  ourselves  with  the  prophet, 
and  view  these  kingdoms  from  the  same  stand-point. 
We  shall  then,  as  is  right,  consider  his  statements  in 
the  light  of  the  location  he  occupied,  the  time  in 
which  he  wrote,  and  the  circumstances  by  which  he 
was  surrounded.  It  is  a  manifest  rule  of  interpreta- 
tion that  nations  are  not  particularly  noticed  in 
prophecy  until  they  become  so  far  connected  with  the 
people  of  God  that  mention  of  them  becomes  neces- 
sary to  make  the  records  of  sacred  history  complete. 
When  this  was  the  case  with  Babylon,  it  was  the 
great  and  overtowering  object  in  the  political  world. 
In  the  prophet's  eye,  it  necessarily  eclipsed  all  else ; 
and  he  would  naturally  speak  of  it  as  a  kingdom 
having  rule  over  all  the  earth.  So  far  as  we  know, 
all  provinces  or  countries  against  which  Babylon  did 
move  in  the  height  of  its  power  were  subdued  by  its 
arms.  In  this  sense,  all  were  in  its  power.  And  this 
will  explain  the  somewhat  hyperbolical  language  of 
verse  38.  That  there  were  some  portions  of  territory 
and  considerable  numbers  of  people  unknown  to  his- 


54  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

tory  and  without  the  pale  of  civilization  as  it  then 
existed,  which  were  neither  discovered  nor  subdued, 
is  not  a  fact  of  sufficient  strength  or  importance  to 
condemn  the  expression  of  the  prophet,  or  to  falsify 
the  prophecy. 

In  677,  B.  c.,  Babylon  became  connected  with  the 
people  of  God  by  the  capture  of  Manasseh,  king  of 
Judah,  and  is  at  this  point  introduced  into  prophecy. 

The  character  of  this  empire  is  indicated  by  the 
nature  of  the  material  in  that  portion  of  the  image 
by  which  it  was  symbolized — the  head  of  gold.  It 
was  the  golden  kingdom  of  a  golden  age.  Babylon, 
its  metropolis,  towered  far  above  all  its  later  rivals. 
Situated  in  the  garden  of  the  East,  laid  out  in  a  per- 
fect square  sixty  miles  in  circumference,  fifteen  miles 
on  each  side,  surrounded  by  a  wall  three  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  high,  and  eighty -seven  feet  thick,  with 
a  moat,  or  ditch,  around  this,  of  equal  cubic  capacity 
with  the  wall,  divided  into  six  hundred  and  seventy- 
six  squares,  each  two  and  a  quarter  miles  in  circum- 
ference, by  its  fifty  streets,  each  one  hundred  and 
fifty  feet  in  width,  crossing  each  other  at  right 
angles,  twenty-five  each  way,  every  one  straight  and 
level,  and  fifteen  miles  in  length ;  its  two  hundred 
and  twenty-five  square  miles  of  inclosed  surface,  di- 
vided as  just  described,  and  laid  out  'in  luxuriant 
pleasure-grounds  and  gardens,  interspersed  with  mag- 
nificent dwellings — this  city,  with  its  sixty  miles  of 
moat,  its  sixty  miles  of  outer  wall,  its  thirty  miles  of 
river  wall  through  its  center,  its  hundred  and  fifty 
gates  of  solid  brass,  its  hanging  gardens,  rising  ter- 


CHAPTER  II,   VERSES  36-38.  55 

race  above  terrace,  till  they  equaled  in  height  the 
walls  themselves,  its  temple  of  Belus,  three  miles  in 
circumference,  its  two  kingly  palaces,  one  three  and 
a  half,  and  the  other  eight  miles  in  circumference, 
with  its  subterranean  tunnel  under  the  river  Euphra- 
tes connecting  these  two  palaces,  its  perfect  arrange- 
ments for  convenience,  ornament,  and  defense;  and 
its  unlimited  resources — this  city,  containing  in  itself 
many  things  which  were  themselves  wonders  of  the 
world,  was  itself  another  and  still  mightier  wonder. 
Never  before  saw  the  earth  a  city  like  that;  never 
since  has  it  seen  its  equal.  And  there,  with  the 
whole  earth  prostrate  at  her  feet,  she  sat,  a  queen  in 
peerless  grandeur, "  the  glory  of  kingdoms,  the  beauty 
of  the  Chaldees'  excellency,"  fit  capital  of  that  king- 
dom which  constituted  the  golden  head  of  this  great 
historic  image. 

Such  was  Babylon,  with  Nebuchadnezzar  youth- 
ful, bold,  vigorous,  and  accomplished,  seated  upon  its 
throne,  when  Daniel  entered  its  impregnable  walls  to 
serve  a  captive  for  seventy  years  hi  its  gorgeous  pal- 
aces. There,  the  children  of  the  Lord,  oppressed  more 
than  cheered  by  the  glory  and  prosperity  of  the  land 
of  their  captivity,  hung  their  harps  on  the  willows  of 
the  sparkling  Euphrates,  and  wept  when  they  re- 
membered Zion. 

And  there  commenced  the  captive  state  of  the 
church  in  a  still  broader  sense ;  for,  ever  since  that 
time,  the  people  of  God  have  been  in  subjection  to, 
and  more  or  less  oppressed  by,  earthly  powers.  And 
so  they  will  be,  till  earthly  powers  shall  give  way  to 


56  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

Him  whose  right  it  is  to  reign.     And  lo  !  the  day  of 
deliverance  draws  on  apace. 

Into  another  city,  not  only  Daniel,  but  all  the  chil- 
dren of  God,  from  least  to  greatest,  from  first  to  last, 
are  soon  to  enter ;  a  city  not  merely  sixty  miles  in 
circumference,  but  fifteen  hundred  miles;  a  city 
whose  walls  are  not  brick  and  bitumen,  but  precious 
stones  and  jasper;  whose  streets  are  not  the  stone- 
paved  streets  of  Babylon,  smooth  and  handsome  as 
they  were,  but  transparent  gold  ;  whose  river  is  not 
the  mournful  waters  of  the  Euphrates,  but  the  river 
of  life ;  whose  music  is  not  the  sighs  and  laments  of 
broken-hearted  captives,  but  the  thrilling  peans  of 
victory  over  death  and  the  grave,  which  ransomed 
multitudes  shall  raise ;  whose  light  is  not  the  inter- 
mittent light  of  earth,  but  the  unceasing  and  ineffa- 
ble glory  of  God  and  the  Lamb.  Into  this  city  they 
shall  enter,  not  as  captives  entering  a  foreign  land* 
but  as  exiles  returning  to  their  father's  house;  not  as 
to  a  place  where  the  chilling  words  of  bondage,  serv- 
itude, and  oppression  shall  weigh  down  their  spirits 
but  where  the  sweet  words,  home,  freedom,  peace' 
purity,  unutterable  bliss,  and  unending  life,  shalj 
thrill  their  bosoms  with  delight  forever  and  ever. 
Yea,  our  mouths  shall  be  filled  with  laughter,  and  our 
tongue  with  singing,  when  the  Lord  turns  again  the 
captivity  of  Zion.  Ps.  126  : 1,  2. 

VERSE  39.  And  after  thee  shall  arise  another  kingdom 
inferior  to  thee,  and  another  third  kingdom  of  brass,  which 
shall  bear  rule  over  all  the  earth. 

It  is  almost  with  a  feeling  of  regret,  as  we  look 


CHAPTER  II,   VERSE  39.  57 

at  Babylon,  raised  to  such  a  pinnacle  of  splendor, 
by  so  much  care,  and  pains,  and  labor,  that  we  turn 
to  look  at  the  picture  of  her  downfall  and  desola- 
tion. But  we  must  remember  that  the  Chaldeans 
were  the  oppressors  of  God's  people,  and  were  guilty 
of  iniquities  which  challenged  retribution  at  the 
hand  of  high  Heaven.  So  said  the  Lord  by  the 
prophet :  "  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  when  seventy 
years  are  accomplished,  that  I  will  punish  the  king 
of  Babylon,  and  that  nation,  saith  the  Lord,  for 
their  iniquity,  and  the  land  of  the  Chaldeans,  and 
will  make  it  perpetual  desolations."  Jer.  25  : 12. 

Nebuchadnezzar  reigned  forty-three  years,  and 
was  succeeded  by  the  following  rulers :  His  son 
Evil-merodach,  two  years;  Neriglissar,  his  son-in- 
law,  four  years ;  Laborosoarchod,  Neriglissar's  son, 
nine  months,  which,  being  less  than  one  year,  is  not 
counted  in  the  canon  of  Ptolemy ;  and  lastly,  Na- 
bonadius,  the  Belshazzar  of  Daniel,  son  of  Evil- 
merodach,  and  grandson  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  with 
whom  that  kingdom  came  to  an  end. 

In  the  first  year  of  Neriglissar,  only  two  years 
from  the  death  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  broke  out  that 
fatal  war  between  the  Babylonians  and  the  Medes, 
which  was  to  result  in  the  utter  subversion  of  the 
Babylonian  kingdom.  Cyaxeres,  king  of  the  Medes, 
who  is  called  Darius  in  Daniel  5  : 31,  summoned  to 
his  aid  his  nephew,  Cyrus,  of  the  Persian  line,  in 
his  efforts  against  the  Babylonians.  The  war  was 
prosecuted  with  uninterrupted  success  on  the  part 
of  the  Medes  and  Persians,  until,  in  the  sixteenth 


58  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

year  of  Belshazzar,  Cyrus  laid  siege  to  Babylon,  the 
only  city  in  all  the  East  which  then  held  out 
against  him.  The  Babylonians,  -gathered  within 
their  impregnable  walls,  with  provision  on  hand 
for  twenty  years,  and  land  within  the  limits  of 
their  broad  city,  sufficient  to  furnish  food  for  the 
inhabitants  and  garrison,  for  an  indefinite  period, 
scoffed  at  Cyrus  from  their  lofty  walls,  and  derided 
his  seemingly  useless  efforts  to  bring  them  into  sub- 
jection. And  according  to  all  human  calculation, 
they  had  good  ground  for  their  feelings  of  security. 
Never,  according  to  human  probability,  with  the 
means  of  warfare  then  known,  could  that  city  be 
taken.  Hence,  they  breathed  as  freely  and  slept 
as  soundly  as  though  no  foe  was  waiting  and 
watching  for  their  destruction  around  their  be- 
leaguered walls.  But  God  had  decreed  that  that 
proud  and  wicked  city  should  come  down  from  her 
throne  of  glory ;  and  his  decrees,  what  mortal  arm 
can  hinder  ? 

In  their  very  feelings  of  security,  lay  the  source 
of  their  danger.  Cyrus  resolved  to  accomplish  by 
stratagem  what  he  could  not  effect  by  force ;  and 
learning  of  the  approach  of  an  annual  festival,  in 
which  the  whole  city  would  be  given  up  to  mirth 
and  revelry,  he  fixed  upon  that  day  as  the  time  to 
carry  his  purpose  into  execution.  There  was  no 
entrance  for  him  into  that  city  except  where  the 
River  Euphrates  entered  and  emerged,  passing 
under  its  walls.  He  resolved  to  make  the  channel 
of  the  river  his  own  highway  into  the  stronghold 


CHAPTER  II,   VERSE  39.  59 

of  his  enemy.  To  do  this,  the  water  must  be 
turned  aside.  For  this  purpose  he  dug  an  immense 
trench  around  the  city,  and  on  the  evening  of  the 
feast-day  above  referred  to,  he  detailed  three  bodies 
of  soldiers ;  the  first,  to  turn  the  river  at  a  given  hour 
into  a  large  artificial  lake  a  short  distance  above 
the  city;  the  second,  to  take  their  station  at  the 
point  where  the  river  entered  the  city ;  and  the 
third,  where  it  came  out,  with  instructions  that 
when,  in  the  darkness  of  the  night,  they  found  the 
river  fordable,  they  should  enter  its  channel,  and 
immediately  urge  their  way  to  the"  palace  of  the 
king,  where  they  were  to  meet,  surprise  the  palace, 
slay  the  guards,  and  capture  or  slay  the  king. 
When  the  river  was  turned  into  the  lake  mentioned 
above,  Cyrus  also  opened  the  trench  he  had  dug 
around  the  city,  drawing  off  the  surplus  water  into 
that,  which  soon  made  the  river  fordable,  and  the 
soldiers  detailed  for  that  purpose,  followed  its  chan- 
nel into  the  heart  of  the  city  of  Babylon. 

But  all  this  would  have  been  in  vain,  had  not  the 
whole  city,  on  that  eventful  night,  given  themselves 
over  to  the  most  reckless  carelessness  and  presump- 
tion, a  state  of  things  upon  which  Cyrus  calculated 
largely  for  the  carrying  out  of  his  purpose.  For  on 
each  side  of  the  river,  through  the  entire  length  of 
the  city,  were  walls  of  a  great  Jbeight,  and  of  equal 
thickness  with  the  outer  walls.  In  these  walls 
were  huge  gates  of  solid  brass,  debarring  all  en- 
trance from  the  river  bed  to  any  and  all  of  the 
twenty-five  streets  that  crossed  the  river,  when 


60  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

closed  and  guarded ;  and  had  they  been  thus  closed 
at  this  time,  the  soldiers  of  Cyrus  might  have 
marched  into  the  city  along  the  river  bed,  and  then 
marched  out  again,  for  all  that  they  would  have 
been  able  to  accomplish  toward  the  subjugation  of 
the  place.  But  in  the  drunken  revelry  of  that  fatal 
night,  these  river  gates  were  all  left  open,  and  the 
entrance  of  the  Persian -soldiers  was  not  perceived. 
Many  a  cheek  would  have  paled  with  terror,  had 
they  noticed  the  sudden  going  down  of  the  river, 
and  understood  its  fearful  import.  Many  a  tongue 
would  have  spread  wild  alarm  through  the  city,  if 
they  had  seen  the  dark  forms  of  their  armed  foe 
stealthily  threading  their  way  to  the  citadel  of 
their  strength.  But  no  one  noticed  that  the  river 
suddenly  became  emptied  of  its  waters;  no  one  saw 
the  entrance  of  the  Persian  warriors  ;  no  one  took 
care  that  the  river  gates  should  be  closed  and 
guarded ;  no  one  cared  for  aught  but  to  see  how 
deeply  and  recklessly  he  could  plunge  into  the  wild 
debauch.  That  night's  work  cost  them  their  king- 
dom and  their  freedom.  They  went  into  their 
brutish  revelry  subjects  of  the  king  of  Babylon ; 
they  awoke  from  it  slaves  to  the  king  of  Persia. 

The  soldiers  of  Cyrus  first  made  known  their 
presence  in  the  city  by  falling  upon  the  royal 
guards  in  the  very,  vestibule  of  the  palace  of  the 
king.  Belshazzar  soon  became  aware  of  the  cause 
of  the  disturbance,  and  died,  vainly  fighting  for  his 
tyrannical  and  beastly  life.  This  feast  of  Belshaz- 
zar is  described  in  the  fifth  chapter  of  Daniel ;  and 


CHAPTER  II,    VERSE  39.  61 

the  scene  closes  with  the  simple  record,  "  In  that 
night  was  Belshazzar  the  king  of  the  Chaldeans 
slain.  And  Darius  the  Median  took  the  kingdom, 
being  about  threescore  and  two  years  old." 

Thus  the  first  division  of  the  great  image  was 
completed.  Another  kingdom  had  arisen,  as  the 
prophet  had  declared.  The  first  installment  of  the 
prophetic  dream  was  fulfilled. 

But  before  we  take  our  leave  of  Babylon,  let  us 
briefly  glance  forward  to  the  end  of  its  melancholy 
fall.  It  would  naturally  be  supposed  that  the  con- 
queror, becoming  possessed  of  so  noble  a  city,  far 
surpassing  anything  in  the  world,  would  have 
taken  it  as  the  seat  of  his  empire,  and  maintained 
it  in  its  primitive  splendor.  But  God  had  said  that 
that  city  should  become  a  heap,  and  the  habitation 
of  the  beasts  of  the  desert ;  that  their  houses  should 
be  full  of  doleful  creatures ;  that  the  wild  beasts  of 
the  islands  should  cry  in  their  desolate  dwellings, 
and  dragons  in  their  pleasant  palaces.  To  this  end, 
it  must  first  be  deserted.  Cyrus  removed  the  im- 
perial seat  to  Susa,  a  celebrated  city  in  the  province 
of  Elam,  east  by  south  from  Babylon,  on  the  banks 
of  the  river  Choaspes,  a  branch  of  the  Tigris.  This 
was  probably  done,  says  Prideaux  (i.  180),  in  the 
first  year  of  his  sole  reign.  The  pride  of  the 
Babylonians  being  particularly  provoked  by  this 
act,  in  the  fifth  year  of  Darius  Hystaspes,  B.  c.  517, 
they  rose  in  rebellion,  which  brought  upon  them- 
selves again  the  whole  strength  of  the  Persian 
Empire.  The  city  was  once  more  taken  by  strat- 


62  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

agem.  Zopyrus,  one  of  the  chief  commanders  of 
Darius,  having  cut  off  his  own  nose  and  ears  and 
mangled  his  body  all  over  with  stripes,  fled  in  this 
condition  to  the  besieged,  apparently  burning  with 
desire  to  be  revenged  on  Darius  for  his  great 
cruelty  in  thus  mutilating  him.  In  this  way  he 
won  the  confidence  of  the  Babylonians  till  they  at 
length  made  him  chief  commander  of  their  forces ; 
whereupon  he  betrayed  the  city  into  the  hands  of 
his  master.  And  that  they  might  ever  after  be  de- 
terred from  rebellion,  Darius  impaled  three  thou- 
sand of  those  who  had  been  most  active  in  the  re- 
volt, took  away  the  brazen  gates  of  the  city,  and 
beat  down  the  walls  from  two  hundred  cubits  to 
fifty  cubits.  This  was  the  commencement  of  its 
destruction.  By  this  act,  it  was  left  exposed  to  the 
ravages  of  every  hostile  band.  Xerxes,  on  his  re- 
turn from  Greece,  plundered  the  temple  of  Belus  of 
its  immense  wealth,  and  then  laid  the  lofty  struct- 
ure in  ruins.  Alexander  the  Great  endeavored  to 
rebuild  it ;  but  after  employing  ten  thousand  men 
two  months  to  clear  away  the  rubbish,  he  died  in  the 
midst  of  a  beastly  debauch,  and  the  work  was  sus- 
pended. In  the  year  294,  B.  c.,  Seleucus  Nicator 
built  the  city  of  New  Babylon  in  its  neighborhood, 
drawing  from  the  old  city  inhabitants  and  material 
for  the  new.  Now  almost  exhausted  of  inhab- 
itants, neglect  and  decay  were  telling  fearfully 
upon  the  ancient  city.  The  violence  of  Parthian 
princes  hastened  its  ruin.  About  the  end  of  the 
fourth  century,  it  was  used  by  the  Persian  kings  as 


CHAPTER  11,    VERSE  39. 


an  inclosure  for  wild  beasts.  At  the  end  of  the 
twelfth  century,  according  to  a  celebrated  traveler, 
the  few  remaining  ruins  of  Nebuchadnezzar's  pal- 
ace were  so  full  of  serpents  and  venomous  reptiles 
that  they  could  not,  without  great  danger,  be 
closely  inspected.  And  to-day,  scarcely  enough 
even  of  the  ruins  are  left  to  mark  the  spot  where 
once  stood  the  largest,  richest,  and  proudest  city 
the  earth  has  ever  seen.  Thus  the  ruin  of  great 
Babylon  shows  us  how  accurately  God  will  fulfill 
his  word,  and  stamps  upon  the  brow  of  skepticism 
the  infamous  brand  of  willful  blindness. 

"  And  after  thee  shall  arise  another  kingdom  in- 
ferior to  thee."  The  use  of  the  word  kingdom,  here, 
shows  that  kingdoms,  and  not  particular  kings,  are 
represented  by  the  different  parts  of  this  image;  and 
hence,  when  it  was  said  to  Nebuchadnezzar,  "  Thou 
art  this  head  of  gold,"  the  kingdom,  not  the  king, 
was  meant. 

The  succeeding  kingdom,  Medo-Persia,  is  the  one 
which  answers  to  the  breast  and  arms  of  silver.  It 
was  to  be  inferior  to  the  preceding  kingdom.  In 
what  respect  inferior  ?  Not  in  power  ;  for  it 
was  its  conqueror.  Not  in  extent  ;  for  Cyrus 
subdued  all  the  East  from  the  Egean  Sea  to  the 
River  Indus,  and  thus  erected  the  most  extensive 
empire  that  the  world  had,  up  to  that  time,  seen. 
But  it  was  inferior  in  wealth,  luxury,  and  magnifi- 
cence. 

Whether  it  was  designed  as  the  fulfillment  of  the 
prophecy  or  not,  it  is  at  least  an  interesting  eo-inci- 


64  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

dence  that  the  kingdom,  answering  to  that  portion 
of  the  image  where  the  two  arms  are  located,  was 
composed  of  the  union  of  two  nationalities,  the  Medes 
and  Persians.  And  this  is  rendered  the  more  signifi- 
cant from  the  fact  that  this  feature  is  distinctly 
marked  in  the  other  symbols  representing  the  same 
empire,  namely  the  bear  of  chapter  7,  and  the  ram 
of  chapter  8.  This  fact  is  not  observable  in  other 
symbols  of  the  fourth  kingdom ;  and  the  two  legs,  as 
we  shall  see,  cannot  be  taken  to  represent  two  divis- 
ions in  that  empire. 

Viewed  from  a  scriptural  standpoint,  the  prin- 
cipal event  under  the  Babylonish  Empire,  was  the 
captivity  of  the  children  of  Israel  ;  so  the  principal 
event  under  the  Medo-Persian  kingdom,  was  their 
restoration  to  their  own  land.  At  the  taking  of 
Babylon,  B.  c.  538,  Cyrus,  as  an  act  of  courtesy,  had 
assigned  the  first  place  in  the  kingdom  to  his  uncle, 
Darius.  But,  two  years  afterward,  B.  c.  536,  occurred 
the  death  of  Darius;  and  in  the  same  year  also 
died  Cambyses,  king  of  Persia,  Cyrus'  father.  By 
these  events,  Cyrus  was  left  sole  monarch  of  the  em- 
pire. In  this  year,  which  closed  the  seventy  years' 
captivity,  was  issued  the  famous  decree  of  Cyrus  for 
the  return  of  the  Jews,  and  the  rebuilding  of  their 
temple.  This  was  the  first  installment  of  the  great 
decree  for  the  restoration  and  building  again  of  Je- 
rusalem, which  was  completed  in  the  seventh  year 
of  the  reign  of  Artaxerxes,  B.  c.  457,  and  marked 
the  commencement'  of  the  2300  days  of  Dan.  8,  as 
will  hereafter  appear,  the  longest  and  most  impor- 
tant prophetic  period  mentioned  in  the  Bible. 


CHAPTER  //,    VERSE  89.  (55 

After  a  reign  of  seven  years,  Cyrus  left  the  king- 
dom to  his  son,  Cambyses,  called  Ahasuerus  in  Ez. 
4  :  6,  who  reigned  seven  years  and  five  months,  to  B. 
c.  522.  Eight  monarchs,  whose  reigns  varied  from 
seven  months  to  forty-six  years  each,  took  the 
throne  in  order  till  the  year  B.  c,  336,  as  follows  : 
Smerdis,  the  Magian,  seven  months,  called  Arta- 
xerxes  in  Ez.  4  :  7,  in  the  year  B.  c.  522  ;  Darius 
Hystaspes,  from  B.  C.  521  to  486  ;  Xerxes,  from  B.  C. 
485  to  465  ;  Artaxerxes  Longimanus,  from  B.  C.  464 
to  424  ;  Darius  Nothus,  from  B.  c.  423  to  405  ;  Ar- 
taxerxes Mnemon,  from  B.  c.  404  to  359  ;  Ochus,  from 
B.  c.  358  to  338  ;  Arses,  from  B.  c.  337  to  336.  The 
year  335  is  set  down  as  the  first  of  Darius  Codoman- 
nus,  the  last  of  the  line  of  the  old  Persian  kings. 
This  man,  according  to  Prideaux,  was  of  noble 
stature,  of  goodly  person,  of  the  greatest  personal 
valor,  and  of  a  mild  and  generous  disposition.  Had 
he  lived  at  any  other  age,  a  long  and  splendid  career 
would  undoubtedly  have  been  his.  But  it  was  his 
ill  fortune  to  have  to  contend  with  one  who  was  an 
agent  in  the  fulfillment  of  prophecy,  and  no  qualifi- 
cations, natural  or  acquired,  could  render  him  suc- 
cessful in  the  unequal  contest.  Scarce  was  he  warm 
upon  the  throne,  says  the  last-named  historian,  ere 
he  found  his  formidable  enemy,  Alexander,  prepar- 
ing to  dismount  him  from  it. 

The  cause  and  particulars  of  the  contest  between 

the  Greeks  and  Persians  we  need  not  stop  to  follow. 

The   deciding   point   was   reached   on   the   field   of 

Arbela,  B.  c.  331,  in  which  the  Grecians,  though  only 

5 


THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 


one  to  twenty  in  number,  as  compared  with  the 
Persians,  were  entirely  victorious;  and  Alexander 
thenceforth  became  absolute  lord  of  the  Persian  em- 
pire to  the  utmost  extent  ever  possessed  by  any  of 
its  own  kings. 

"  And  another  third  kingdom  of  brass  shall  bear 
rule  over  all  the  earth,"  said  the  prophet.  So  few 
and  brief  are  the  inspired  words,  which  involve  in 
their  fulfillment  a  change  of  the  world's  rulers.  In 
the  ever-changing  political  kaleidoscope,  Grecia  now 
comes  into  the  field  of  vision,  to  be,  for  a  time,  the 
all-absorbing  object  of  attention,  as  the  third  of 
what  are  called  the  great  universal  empires  of  the 
earth. 

After  the  fatal  battle  which  decided  the  fate  of 
the  empire,  Darius  still  endeavored  to  rally  the 
shattered  remnants  of  his  army,  and  make  a  stand 
for  his  kingdom  and  his  rights.  But  he  could  not 
gather,  out  of  all  the  host  of  his  recently  so  numer- 
ous and  well-appointed  army,  a  force  with  which  he 
deemed  it  prudent  to  hazard  another  engagement 
with  the  victorious  Grecians.  Alexander  pursued 
him  on  the  wings  of  the  wind.  Time  after  time  did 
Darius  elude  the  grasp  of  his  swiftly  following  foe. 
At  length  two  traitors,  Bessus  and  Nabarzanes,  seized 
the  unfortunate  prince,  shut  him  up  in  a  close  cart, 
and  fled  with  him  as  their  prisoner  toward  Bactria. 
It  was  their  purpose,  if  Alexander  pursued  them,  to 
purchase  their  own  safety  by  delivering  up  their 
king.  Hereupon  Alexander,  learning  of  Darius' 
dangerous  position  in  the  hands  of  the  traitors,  im- 


CHAPTER  //,    VERSE  39.  67 

mediately  put  himself  with  the  lightest  part  of  his 
army  upon  a  forced  pursuit.  After  several  days' 
hard  march,  he  came  up  with  the  traitors.  They 
urged  Darius  to  mount  on  horseback  for  a  more 
speedy  flight.  Upon  his  refusing  to  do  this,  they 
gave  him  several  mortal  wounds,  and  left  him  dying 
in  his  cart,  while  they  mounted  their  steeds  and 
rode  away. 

When  Alexander  came  up,  life  was  extinct.  As 
he  gazed  upon  the  corpse,  he  might  have  learned  a 
profitable  lesson  of  the  instability  of  human  fortune. 
Here  was  a  man  who,  but  a  few  months  before, 
possessed  of  many  noble  and  generous  qualities,  was 
seated  upon  the  throne  of  universal  empire.  Disas- 
ter, overthrow,  and  desertion,  had  come  suddenly 
upon  him.  His  kingdom  had  been  conquered,  his 
treasure  seized,  and  his  family  reduced  to  captivity. 
And  now,  brutally  slain  by  the  hand  of  traitors,  he 
lay  a  bloody  corpse  in  a  rude  cart.  The  sight  of  the 
melancholy  spectacle  drew  tears  even  from  the  eyes 
of  Alexander,  familiar  though  he  was  with  all  the 
horrible  vicissitudes  and  bloody  scenes  of  war. 
Throwing  his  cloak  over  the  body,  he  commanded  it 
to  be  conveyed  to  the  captive  ladies  of  Susa,  himself 
furnishing  the  necessary  means  for  a  royal  funeral. 
For  this  generous  act,  let  us  give  him  credit ;  for  he 
stands  sadly  in  need  of  all  that  is  his  due. 

When  Darius  fell,  Alexander  saw  the  field  cleared 
of  his  last  formidable  foe.  Thenceforward  he  could 
spend  his  time  in  his  own  manner,  now  in  the  enjoy- 
ment of  rest  and  pleasure,  and  again  in  the  prosecu- 


68  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

tion  of  some  minor  conquest.  He  entered  upon  a 
pompous  campaign  into  India,  because,  according  to 
Grecian  fable,  Bacchus  and  Hercules,  two  sons  of 
Jupiter,  whose  son  he  also  claimed  to  be,  had  done 
the  same.  He  conquered  all  that  there  was  any 
necessity  for  conquering,  and  then  is  said  to  have 
wept  that  he  had  not  another  world  to  conquer. 
For  what  ?  That  he  might  do  good  to  his  fellow- 
men,  bless  and  elevate  the  race,  and  ameliorate  their 
woes  ?  No ;  but  to  gratify  his  own  insatiable  thirst 
for  power,  and  to  pander  to  his  ungovernable  lusts. 
With  contemptible  arrogance,  he  claimed  for  himself 
divine  honors.  He  gave  up  conquered  cities,  freely 
and  unprovoked,  to  the  absolute  mercy  of  his  blood- 
thirsty and  licentious  soldiery.  He  himself  often 
murdered  his  own  friends  and  favorites  in  his 
drunken  frenzies.  He  sought  out  the  vilest  persons 
for  the  gratification  of  his  lust.  At  the  instigation 
of  a  dissolute  and  drunken  woman,  he,  with  a  com- 
pany of  his  courtiers,  all  in  a  state  of  beastly  intoxi- 
cation, sallied  out,  torch  in  hand,  and  fired  the  city 
and  palace  of  Persepolis,  one  of  the  finest  palaces  in 
the  world.  He  encouraged  such  excessive  drinking 
among  his  followers  that  on  one  occasion  twenty  of 
them  together  died  as  the  result  of  their  carousal. 
At  length,  he,  having  sat  through  one  long  drinking 
spree,  was  immediately  invited  to  another,  when, 
after  drinking  to  each  of  the  twenty  guests  present, 
he  twice  drank  full,  says  history,  incredible  as  it  may 
seem,  the  Herculean  cup  containing  six  of  our  quarts. 
He  thereupon  fell  down,  seized  with  a  violent  fever, 


CHAPTEH  II,   VEMtiE  40. 


of  which  in  a  few  days  after,  he  died,  in  the  very 
prime  of  life,  aged  33. 

Such  was  Alexander,  whom  the  fulsome  pages  of 
history  style  "  the  great."  If  vice,  and  cruelty,  and 
vain-glory,  and  love  of  power,  and  thirst  for  blood, 
constitute  greatness,  he  was  great;  if  otherwise,  he 
was  a  monster,  the  more  monstrous  because  his. pow- 
ers of  mind,  some  of  which  he  possessed  to  a  remark- 
able degree,  were  prostituted  to  unholy  ends.  But  he 
was  an  agent  in  the  hands  of  God  in  the  fulfillment 
of  his  word ;  and  when  that  work  was  accomplished, 
he  was  cast  away  as  a  loathsome  thing,  unworthy 
of  any  further  notice. 

The  progress  of  the  Grecian  Empire,  we  need  not 
svop  to  trace  here,  since  its  distinguishing  features 
will  claim  more  particular  notice  under  other  proph- 
ecies. Daniel  thus  continues  in  his  interpretation  of 
the  great  image  : — 

VERSE  40.  And  the  fourth,  kingdom  shall  be  strong  as 
iron ;  forasmuch  as  iron  breaketh  in  pieces  and  subdueth  all 
things ;  and  as  iron  that  breaketh  all  these,  shall  it  break 
in  pieces  and  bruise. 

Thus  far  in  the  application  of  this  prophecy 
there  is  a  general  agreement  among  expositors. 
That  Babylon,  Medo-Persia,  and  Grecia,  are  repre- 
sented respectively  by  the  head  of  gold,  the  breast 
and  arms  of  silver,  and  the  sides  of  brass,  is  ac- 
knowledged by  all.  But  with  just  as  little  ground 
for  diversity  of  views,  there  is  still  a  difference  of 
opinion  as  to  what  answers  to  the  fourth  division 
of  the  great  image,  the  legs  of  iron.  On  this  point 


70 


THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 


we  have  only  to  inquire,  What  kingdom  did  suc- 
ceed Grecia  in  the  empire  of  the  world  ?  for  the 
legs  of  iron  denote  the  fourth  kingdom  in  the  se- 
ries. The  testimony  of  history  is  full  and  ex- 
plicit on  this  point.  One  kingdom  did  this,  and 
one  only ;  and  that  was  Rome.  It  conquered  Gre- 
cia; it  subdued  all  things;  like  iron  it  broke  in 
pieces  and  bruised.  Gibbon,  though  perhaps  un- 
conscious of  the  fact,  used  the  very  figure  of  the 
prophecy,  when  describing  this  empire.  He  says: — 

"  The  arms  of  the  Republic,  sometimes  vanquished  in 
battle,  always  victorious  in  war,  advanced  with  rapid  steps 
to  the  Euphrates,  the  Danube,  the  Rhine,  and  the  ocean; 
and  the  images  of  gold,  or  silver,  or  brass,  that  might  serve 
to  represent  the  nations  or  their  kings,  were  successively 
broken  by  the  iron  monarchy  of  Rome." 

At  the  opening  of  the  Christian  era,  this  empire 
took  in  the  whole  south  of  Europe,  France,  Eng- 
land, the  greater  part  of  the  Netherlands,  Switzer- 
land, and  the  south  of  Germany,  Hungary,  Turkey, 
and  Greece ;  not  to  speak  of  its  possessions  in  Asia 
and  Africa.  Well,  therefore,  may  Gibbon  add: — 

"  The  empire  of  the  Romans  filled  the  world.  And  when 
that  empire  fell  into  the  hand  of  a  single  person,  the  world 
became  a  safe  and  dreary  prison  for  his  enemies.  To  resist 
was  fatal ;  and  it  was  impossible  to  fly. " 

It  will  be  noticed  that  at  first  the  kingdom  is  de- 
scribed unqualifiedly  as  strong  as  iron.  And  this 
was  the  period  of  its  strength,  during  which  it  has 
been  likened  to  a  mighty  Colossus,  bestriding  the 


CHAPTER  II,    VERSES  41,  J&.  71 

nations,  conquering  everything,  and  giving  laws  to 
the  world.     But  this  was  not  to  continue. 

VERSE  41.  And  whereas  thou  sawest  the  feet  and  toes, 
part  of  potters'  clay,  and  part  of  iron,  the  kingdom  shall  be 
divided  ;  but  there  shall  be  in  it  of  the  strength  of  the  iron, 
forasmuch  as  thou  sa\vest  the  iron  mixed  with  miry  clay. 
42.  And  as  the  toes  of  the  feet  were  part  of  iron,  and  part 
of  clay,  so  the  kingdom  shall  be  partly  strong,  and  partly 
broken. 

The  element  of  weakness  symbolized  by  the  clay, 
pertains  to  the  feet  equally  with  the  toes.  Rome, 
before  its  division  into  ten  kingdoms,  lost  that  iron 
tenacity  which  it  possessed  to  a  superlative  degree 
during  the  first  centuries  of  its  career.  Luxury, 
with  its  accompanying  effeminacy  and  degeneracy, 
the  destroyer  of  nations  as  well  as  of  individuals, 
began  to  corrode  and  weaken,  its  iron  sinews,  and 
thus  prepared  the  way  for  its  subsequent  disrup- 
tion into  ten  kingdoms. 

The  iron  legs  of  the  image  terminate,  to  main- 
tain its  consistency  with  the  ordinary  operations  of 
nature,  in  feet  and  toes.  To  the  toes,  of  which 
there  were  of  course  just  ten,  our  attention  is  called 
by  the  explicit  mention  of  them  in  the  prophecy  ; 
and  the  kingdom  represented  by  that  portion  of 
the  image  to  which  the  toes  belonged,  was  finally 
divided  into  ten  parts.  The  question  therefore  nat- 
urally arises,  do  the  ten  toes  of  the  image  represent 
the  ten  divisions  of  the  Roman  Empire  ?  To  those 
who  prefer  what  seems  to  be  a  natural  and  straight- 
forward interpretation  of  the  word  of  God,  it  is  a 


72  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

matter  of  no  little  astonishment  that  any  question 
should  be  raised  here.  To  take  the  ten  toes  to 
represent  the  ten  kingdoms  into  which  Rome  was 
divided,  is  so  easy,  consistent,  and  natural,  that  it 
requires  a  labored  effort  to  interpret  it  otherwise. 
Yet  such  an  effort  is  made  by  some — by  Romanists 
universally,  and  by  such  Protestants  as  still  cling 
to  Romish  errors. 

A  volume  by  H.  Cowles,  D.  D.,  may  perhaps  best 
be  taken  as  a  representative  exposition  on  this  side 
of  the  question.  The  writer  gives  every  evidence 
of  extensive  erudition  and  great  ability.  It  is  the 
more  to  be  regretted,  therefore,  that  these  powers 
are  devoted  to  the  propagation  of  error,  and  to  mis- 
leading the  anxious  inquirer  who  wishes  to  know 
his  whereabouts  on  the  great  highway  of  time. 

We  can  but  briefly  notice  his  positions.  They 
are,  1.  That  the  third  kingdom  was  Grecia  only 
during  the  lifetime  Alexander.  2.  That  the  fourth 
kingdom  was  Alexander's  successors.  3.  That  the 
latest  point  to  which  the  fourth  kingdom  could  ex- 
tend, is  the  manifestation  of  the  Messiah ;  for,  4. 
There  the  God  of  Heaven  set  up  his  kingdom  ; 
there  the  stone  smote  the  image  upon  its  feet,  and 
commenced  the  process  of  grinding  it  up. 

Nor  can  we  reply  at  any  great  length  to  these 
positions. 

1.  We  might  as  well  confine  the  Babylonian  Em- 
pire to  the  single  reign  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  or  that 
of  Persia  to  the  reign  of  Cyrus,  as  to  confine  the 
third  kingdom,  Grecia,  to  the  reign  of  Alexander. 


CHAPTER  //,    VEUSES  41,  J&.  73 

2.  Alexander's  successors  did  not  constitute  an- 
other kingdom,  but  a  continuation  of  the  same,  or 
Grecian  division  of  the  image.  For  in  this  prophecy, 
the  succession  of  kingdoms  is  by  conquest.  When 
Persia  had  conquered  Babylon,  we  had  the  second 
empire,  and  when  Grecia  had  conquered  Persia,  we 
had  the  third.  But  Alexander's  successors  (his 
four  leading  generals)  did  not  conquer  his  empire 
and  erect  another  in  its  place ;  they  simply  divided 
among  themselves  the  empire  which  Alexander 
had  conquered  and  left  ready  to  their  hand. 

"  Chronologically,"  says  Prof.  C.,  "  the  fourth  em- 
pire must  immediately  succeed  Alexander,  and  lie 
entirely  between  him  and  the  birth  of  Christ." 
Chronologically,  we  reply,  it  must  do  no  such 
thing ;  for  the  birth  of  Christ  was  not  the  intro- 
duction of  the  fifth  kingdom,  as  will  in  due  time 
appear.  Here  he  overlooks  almost  the  entire  dura- 
tion of  the  third  division  of  the  image,  confound- 
ing it  with  the  fourth,  and  giving  no  room  for  the 
divided  state  of  the  Grecian  Empire  as  symbolized 
by  the  four  heads  of  the  leopard  of  chap.  7,  and  the 
four  horns  of  the  goat  of  chap.  8. 

"  Territorially,"  continues  Prof.  C.,  "  it  [the  fourth 
kingdom]  should  be  sought  in  Western  Asia,  not  in 
Europe ;  in  general  on  the  same  territory  where  the 
first,  second,  and  third  kingdoms  stood."  Why  not 
in  Europe,  we  ask  ?  Each  of  the  first  three  king- 
doms possessed  territory  which  was  peculiarly  its 
own.  Why  not  the  fourth  ?  Analogy  requires 
that  it  should.  And  was  not  the  third  kingdom  a 


74  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

European  kingdom  ?  That  is,  did  it  not  rise  on 
European  territory,  and  take  its  name  from  the 
land  of  its  birth  ?  Why  not,  then,  go  a  degree  fur- 
ther west  for  the  place  where  the  fourth  great  king- 
dom should  be  founded  ?  And  how  did  Grecia  ever 
occupy  the  territory  of  the  first  and  second  king- 
doms ?  Only  by  conquest.  And  Rome  did  the 
same.  Hence,  so  far  as  the  territorial  require- 
ments of  the  professor  are  concerned,  Rome  could 
be  the  fourth  kingdom  as  well  as  Grecia  could  be 
the  third. 

"Politically,"  he  adds,  "it  should  be  the  immedi- 
ate successor  of  Alexander's  empire,  .  .  .  chang- 
ing the  dynasty,  but  not  the  nations."  Analogy  is 
against  him  here.  Each  of  the  first  three  kingdoms 
was  distinguished  by  its  own  peculiar  nationality. 
The  Persian  was  not  the  same  as  the  Babylonian, 
nor  the  Grecian  the  same  as  either  of  the  two  that 
preceded  it.  Now  analogy  requires  that  the  fourth 
kingdom,  instead  of  being  composed  of  a  fragment 
of  this  Grecian  Empire,  should  possess  a  nationality 
of  its  own,  distinct  from  the  other  three.  And  this 
we  find  in  the  Romans,  and  in  them  alone,  But, 

3.  The  grand  fallacy  which  underlies  this  whole 
system  of  misinterpretation,  is  the  too  commonly 
taught  theory  that  the  kingdom  of  God  was  set  up 
at  the  first  advent  of  Christ.  It  can  easily  be  seen 
how  fatal  to  this  theory  is  the  admission  that  the 
fourth  empire  is  Rome.  For  it  was  to  be  subse- 
quently to  the  division  of  that  empire  that  the  God 
of  Heaven  should  set  up  his  kingdom.  But  the  di- 


CHAPTER  II,  VERSES  ^-,#5.  75 

vision  of  the  Roman  Empire  into  ten  parts  was  not 
accomplished  until  A.  D.  483 ;  consequently  the  king- 
dom of  God  could  not  have  been  set  up  nearly  five 
hundred  years  before.  Rome  must  not,  therefore, 
from  their  standpoint,  though  it  answers  admirably 
to  the  prophecy  in  every  particular,  be  allowed  to 
be  the  kingdom  in  question.  The  position  that  the 
kingdom  of  God  was  set  up  in  the  days  when 
Christ  was  upon  the  earth,  must  be  maintained  at 
all  hazards. 

Such  is  the  ground  on  which  our  opponents  seem, 
at  least,  to  reason.  And  it  is  for  the  purpose  of 
maintaining  this  theory,  that  our  author  dwindles 
down  the  third  great  empire  of  the  world  to  the  in- 
significant period  of  about  eight  years !  For  this, 
he  endeavors  to  prove  that  the  fourth  empire  was 
bearing  full  sway  during  a  period  when  the  provi- 
dence of  God  was  simply  filling  up  the  outlines  of 
the  third !  For  this,  he  presumes  to  fix  the  points 
of  time  between  which  we  must  look  for  the  fourth, 
though  the  prophecy  does  not  deal  in  dates  at  all, 
and  then  whatever  kingdom  he  finds  within  his 
specified  time,  that  he  sets  down  as  the  fourth  king- 
dom, and  endeavors  to  bend  the  prophecy  to  fit  it, 
utterly  regardless  of  how  much  better  material  he 
might  find  outside  of  his  little  inclosure,  to  answer 
to  a  fulfillment  of  the  prophetic  record.  Is  such  a 
course  logical  ?  Is  the  time  the  point  to  be  first  es- 
tablished ?  No ;  the  kingdoms  are  the  great  feat- 
ures of  the  prophecy ;  and  we  are  to  look  for 
them ;  and  when  we  find  them,  take  them  where 


76  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

they  are.  Let  them  govern  the  time,  not  the  time 
govern  them. 

But  that  view,  which  is  the  cause  of  all  this  mis- 
application and  confusion,  is  sheer  assumption. 
Christ  did  not  smite  the  image  at  his  first  advent. 
Look  at  it.  When  the  stone  smites  the  image 
upon  its  feet,  it  is  dashed  in  pieces.  Violence  is  used. 
The  effect  is  immediate.  The  image  becomes  as 
chaff.  And  then  what  ?  Is  it  absorbed  by  the 
stone,  and  gradually  incorporated  with  it  ?  Noth- 
ing of  the  kind.  It  is  blown  off,  removed  away,  as 
incompatible  and  unavailable  material ;  and  no 
place  is  found  for  it.  The  territory  is  entirely 
cleared ;  and  then  the  stone  becomes  a  mountain, 
and  fills  the  whole  earth.  Now  what  idea  shall  we 
attach  to  this  work  of  smiting  and  breaking  in 
pieces  ?  Is  it  a  gentle,  peaceful,  and  quiet  work  ?  or 
is  it  a  manifestation  of  vengeance  and  violence  ? 
How  did  the  kingdoms  of  the  prophecy  succeed  the 
one  to  the  other  ?  It  was  through  the  violence  and 
din  of  war,  the  shock  of  armies,  and  the  roar  of 
battle.  "  Confused  noise  and  garments  rolled  in 
blood,"  told  of  the  force  and  violence  with  which 
one  nation  had  been  brought  into  subjection  to  an- 
other. Yet  all  this  is  not  called  smiting  or  break- 
ing in  pieces. 

When  Persia  conquered  Babylon,  and  Greece  Per- 
sia, neither  of  the  conquered  empires  is  said  to  have 
been  broken  in  pieces,  though  crushed  beneath  the 
overwhelming  power  of  a  hostile  nation.  But  when 
we  reach  the  introduction  of  the  fifth  kingdom,  the 


CHAPTER  II,    VEltlSES  41,  42.  77 

image  is  smitten  with  violence ;  it  is  dashed  to 
pieces,  and  so  scattered  and  obliterated  that  no  place 
is  found  for  it.  And  now  what  shall  we  understand 
by  this  ?  We  must  understand  that  here  a  scene 
transpires  of  so  much  more  violence  and  force  and 
power  than  the  overthrow  of  one  nation  by  an- 
other through  the  strife  of  war,  that  the  latter  is 
not  worthy  even  of  mention  in  connection  with  it. 
The  subjugation  of  one  nation  by  another  by  war, 
is  a  scene  of  peace  and  quietude,  in  comparison  with 
that  which  transpires  when  the  image  is  dashed  in 
pieces  by  the  stone  cut  out  of  the  mountain  with- 
out hands. 

Yet  what  is  this  smiting  of  the  image  made  to 
mean  by  the  theory  under  notice  ?  Oh,  the  peace- 
ful introduction  of  the  gospel  of  Christ !  the  quiet 
spreading  abroad  of  the  light  of  truth  !  the  gather- 
ing out  of  a  few  from  the  nations  of  the  earth,  to  be 
made  ready  through  obedience  to  the  truth  for  his 
second  coming,  and  reign  !  the  calm  and  unpretend- 
ing formation  of  a  Christian  church — a  church  that 
has  been  domineered  over,  persecuted,  and  oppressed, 
by  the  arrogant  and  triumphant  powers  of  earth, 
from  that  day  to  this !  And  this  is  the  smiting  of 
the  image  !  this  is  the  breaking  of  it  into  pieces,  and 
violently  removing  the  shattered  fragments  from  the 
face  of  the  earth  !  Was  ever  absurdity  more  ab- 
surd !  Were  ever  two  events  more  unlike  ?  Had 
the  object  been  to  find  two  scenes  the  exact  oppo- 
sites  of  each  other,  it  would  have  been  fully  met  in 
the  comparison  of  these  two  events ;  but  that  any 


78  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

one  should  seriously  contend  that  these  are  one  and 
the  same  thing,  is  one  of  the  anomalies  of  human 
reasoning ;  or,  rather,  it  is  one  of  the  unpardonable 
inconsistencies  to  which  men  will  sometimes  resort,  to 
save  a  theory. 

From  this  digression  we  return  to  the  inquiry,  Do 
the  toes  represent  the  ten  divisions  of  the  Roman 
Empire  ?  We  answer,  Yes  ;  because,  1.  The  image 
of  chapter  2,  is  exactly  parallel  with  the  vision  of 
the  four  beasts  of  chapter  7.  The  fourth  beast  of 
chap.  7  represents  the  same  as  the  iron  legs  of  the 
image.  The  ten  horns  on  the  beast  of  course  corre- 
spond very  naturally  to  the  ten  toes  of  the  image  ; 
and  these  horns  are  plainly  declared  to  be  ten  kings 
which  should  arise;  and  they  are  just  as  much  in- 
dependent kingdoms  as  the  beasts  themselves  ;  for 
the  beasts  are  spoken  of  in  precisely  the  same  man- 
ner ;  namely,  as  "  four  kings  which  should  arise." 
Verse  17.  They  do  not  denote  a  line  of  successive 
kings,  but  kings  or  kingdoms  which  exist  contempo- 
raneously ;  for  three  of  them  were  plucked  up  by 
the  little  horn.  The  ten  horns,  beyond  controversy, 
represent  the  ten  kingdoms  into  which  Rome  was  at 
last  divided.  2.  We  have  seen  that  in  Daniel's  in- 
terpretation of  the  image  he  uses  the  words  king  and 
kingdom,  interchangeably,  the  former  denoting  the 
same  as  the  latter.  In  verse  44,  he  says  that "  in  the 
days  of  these  kings,  the  God  of  Heaven  shall  set  up 
a  kingdom."  This  shows  that  at  the  time  the  king- 
dom of  God  is  set  up  there  will  be  a  plurality  of 
kings  existing  contemporaneously.  It  cannot  refer 


CHAPTER  II,    VERSES  41,  W*  79 

to  the  four  preceding  kingdoms ;  for  it  would  bo  ab- 
surd to  use  such  language  in  reference  to  a  line  of 
successive  kings,  since  it  would  be  in  the  days  of 
the  last  king  only,  not  in  the  days  of  any  of  the 
preceding,  that  the  kingdom  of  God  would  be  set  up. 

Here,  then,  is  a  division  presented,  and  what  have 
we  in  the  symbol  to  indicate  it  ?  Nothing  but  the 
toes  of  the  image.  Unless  they  do  it,  we  are  left 
utterly  in  the  dark  as  to  the  nature  and  extent  of 
the  division  which  the  prophecy  shows  did  exist. 
As  the  view  that  we  are  left  in  such  uncertainty 
would  cast  a  serious  imputation  upon  the  prophecy, 
we  are  held  to  the  conclusion  that  the  ten  toes  of 
the  image  denote  the  ten  parts  into  which  the  Ro- 
man Empire  was  divided,  between  the  years  A.  D. 
356  and  A.  D.  483.  These  divisions  were  estab- 
lished respectively  by  the  Huns,  A.  D.  356 ;  Ostro- 
goths, 377;  Visigoths,  378;  Franks,  407;  Vandals, 
407;  Suevi,  407;  Burgundians,  407;  Heruli,  470; 
Anglo-Saxons,  476;  and  Lombards,  483.  This 
enumeration  of  the  ten  kingdoms  is  that  given  by 
Machiavel,  in  his  History  of  Florence,  lib.  i,  who 
is,  says  Dr.  Hales,  "the  best,  because  the  most 
unprejudiced,  authority."  The  dates  are  furnished 
by  Bishop  Lloyd ;  and  the  whole  is  approved  by 
Bishop  Newton,  Faber,  and  Dr.  Hales. 

As  the  view  is  presented  that  the  ten  toes  of  the 
image  denote  the  ten  kingdoms,  we  are  sometimes 
met  with  the  objection  that  Rome,  before  its  di- 
vision into  ten  kingdoms,  was  divided  into  two 
parts,  the  Western  and  Eastern  Empires,  corres- 


80  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

ponding  to  the  two  legs  of  the  image ;  and  as  the 
ten  kingdoms  all  arose  out  of  the  western  division, 
if  they  are  denoted  by  the  toes,  we  should  have  ten 
toes  on  one  foot  of  the  image,  and  none  on  the  other; 
which  would  be  unnatural  and  inconsistent. 

But  this  objection  devours  itself ;  for  certainly  if 
the  two  legs  denote  division,  the  toes  must  denote 
division  also.  It  would  be  inconsistent  to  say  that 
the  legs  symbolize  division,  but  the  toes  do  not. 
But  if  the  toes  do  indicate  division  at  all,  it  can  be 
nothing  but  the  division  of  Rome  into  its  ten  parts. 

The  fallacy,  however,  which  forms  the  basis  of 
this  objection,  is  the  view  that  the  two  legs  of  the 
image  do  signify  the  separation  of  the  Roman  Em- 
pire into  its  eastern  and  western  divisions.  To  this 
view  there  are  several  objections. 

1.  Rome,  from  the  very  beginning  of  its  history, 
was  represented  by  the  two  legs ;  and  if  these  de- 
note division,  it  should  have  been  divided  from  the 
very  commencement  of  its  history.  This  claim  is 
sustained  by  the  other  symbols.  Thus  the  division, 
or  the  two,  elements  of  the  Persian  kingdom,  de- 
noted by  the  two  horns  of  the  ram,  Dan.  8  : 20,  by 
the  elevation  of  the  bear  upon  one  side,  Dan.  7 :  5, 
and  perhaps  by  the  two  arms  of  the  image  of  this 
chapter,  existed  from  the  first.  The  division  of  the 
Grecian  kingdom,  denoted  by  the  four  horns  of  the 
goat  and  the  four  heads  of  the  leopard,  dates  back 
to  within  eight  years  of  the  time  of  its  introduction 
into  prophecy.  So  Rome  should  have  been  divided 
from  the  first,  if  the  legs  denote  division,  instead  of 


CHAPTER  II,    VERSES  41,  42.  81 

remaining  a  unit  for  nearly  six  hundred  years,  and 
separating  into  its  eastern  and  western  divisions 
only  a  few  years  prior  to  its  final  disruption  into 
ten  kingdoms. 

2.  No  such  division  into  two  great  parts  is  de- 
noted by  the  other  symbols  under  which  Rome  is 
represented  in  the  book  of  Daniel;  namely,  the 
great  and  terrible  beast  of  Daniel  7,  and  the  little 
horn  of  chapter  8.  Hence  it  is  reasonable  to  con- 
clude that  it  was  not  the  design  of  the  image  to 
represent  such  a  division. 

But,  it  may  be  asked,  why  not  suppose  the  two 
legs  to  denote  division  as  well  as  the  toes  ?  Would 
it  not  be  just  as  inconsistent  to  say  that  the  toes 
denote  division  and  the  legs  do  not,  as  to  say  that 
the  legs  denote  division  and  the  toes  do  not  ?  We 
answer  that  the  prophecy  itself  must  govern  our 
conclusions  in  this  matter  ;  and  whereas  it  says 
nothing  of  division  in  connection  with  the  legs,  it 
does  introduce  the  subject  of  division  as  we  come 
down  to  the  feet  and  toes.  It  says,  "  And  whereas 
thou  sawest  the  feet  and  toes,  part  of  potters'  clay, 
and  part  of  iron,  the  kingdom  shall  be  divided." 
No  division  could  take  place,  or  at  least  none  is 
said  to  have  taken  place,  till  the  weakening  element 
of  the  clay  was  introduced ;  and  we  do  not  find  this 
till  we  come  to  the  feet  and  toes.  But  we  are  not  to 
understand  that  the  clay  denotes  one  division  and 
iron  the  other ;  for  after  the  kingdom  was  broken, 
no  one  of  the  fragments  was  as  strong  as  the  orig- 
inal iron,  but  all  were  in  a  state  of  weakness  de- 
6 


89  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

noted  by  the  mixture  of  iron  and  clay.  The  con- 
clusion is  inevitable,  therefore,  that  the  prophet  has 
here  stated  the  cause  for  the  effect.  The  introduc- 
tion of  the  weakness  of  the  clay  element,  as  we 
come  to  the  feet,  resulted  in  the  division  of  the 
kingdom  into  ten  parts,  as  represented  by  the  ten 
toes ;  and  this  result,  or  division,  is  more  than  inti- 
mated in  the  sudden  mention  of  a  plurality  of  con- 
temporaneous kings.  Therefore,  while  we  find  no 
evidence  that  the  legs  denote  division,  but  serious 
objections  against  such  a  view,  we  do  find,  we  think, 
good  reason  for  supposing  that  the  toes  denote  di- 
vision as  herein  claimed. 

3.  Each  of  the  four  monarchies  had  its  own  par- 
ticular territory,  which  was  the  kingdom  proper, 
and  where  we  are  to  look  for  the  chief  events  in  its 
history  shadowed  forth  by  the  symbol.  We  are 
not  therefore  to  look  for  the  divisions  of  the  Ro- 
man Empire  in  the  territory  formerly  occupied  by 
Babylon,  or  Persia,  or  Grecia,  but  in  the  territory 
proper  of  the  Roman  kingdom,  which  was  what 
was  finally  known  as  the  Western  Empire.  Rome 
conquered  the  world;  but  the  kingdom  of  Rome 
proper,  lay  west  of  Grecia.  That  is  what  was  rep- 
resented by  the  legs  of  iron.  There,  then,  we  look 
for  the  ten  kingdoms;  and  there  we  find  them. 
We  are  not  obliged  to  mutilate  or  deform  the  sym- 
bol to  make  it  a  fit  and  accurate  representation  of 
historical  events. 

VERSE  43.  And  whereas  thou  sawest  iron  mixed  with 
miry  clay,  they  shall  mingle  themselves  with  the  seed  of 


CUAPTEM  II,    VERSE  43. 


men  :  but  they  shall  not  cleave  one  to  another,  even  as  iron 
is  not  mixed  with  clay. 

With  Rome,  fell  the  last  of  earth's  universal  em- 
pires. Heretofore  the  elements  of  society  had  been 
such  that  it  had  been  possible  for  one  nation,  rising 
superior  to  'its  neighbors  in  prowess,  bravery,  and 
the  science  of  war,  to  attach  them  one  after  another 
to  its  chariot  wheels  till  all  were  consolidated  into 
one  vast  empire,  and  one  man  seated  upon  the  dom- 
inant throne  could  send  forth  his  will  as  law  to  all 
the  nations  of  the  earth.  When  Rome  fell,  such 
possibilities  forever  passed  away.  Crushed  beneath 
the  weight  of  its  own  vast  proportions,  it  crumbled 
to  pieces,  never  to  be  united  again.  The  iron  was 
mixed  with  the  clay.  Its  elements  have  lost  the 
power  of  cohesion,  and  no  man,  nor  combination  of 
men,  can  again  consolidate  them.  This  point  is  so 
well  set  forth  by  another  that  we  take  pleasure  in 
quoting  his  words  :  — 

"From  this,  its  divided  state,  the  first  strength  of  the 
empire  departed  —  but  not  as  that  of  the  others  had  done. 
No  other  kingdom  was  to  succeed  it,  as  it  had  the  three 
which  went  before  it.  It  was  to  continue,  in  this  tenfold 
division,  until  the  kingdom  of  stone  smote  it  upon  its  feet, 
broke  them  in  pieces,  and  scattered  them  as  the  wind  does 
chaff  of  the  summer  threshing-floor  !  Yet,  through  all  this 
time,  a  portion  of  its  strength  was  to  remain.  And  so  the 
prophet  says,  '  And  as  the  toes  of  the  feet  were  part  of  iron, 
and  part  of  clay,  so  the  kingdom  shall  be  partly  strong,  and 
partly  broken.'  (Verse  42.)  How  in  any  other  way  could 
you  so  strikingly  represent  the  facts  ?  For  more  than  four- 
teen hundred  years,  this  toiifold  division  has  existed.  Time 
and  again  men  have  dreamed  of  rearing  on  these  dominions 


84  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

one  mighty  kingdom.  Charlemange  tried  it.  Charles  V. 
tried  it.  Louis  XVI.  tried  it.  Napoleon  tried  it.  But  nei- 
ther succeeded.  A  single  verse  of  prophecy  was  stronger 
than  all  their  hosts.  Their  own  power  was  wasted,  frittered 
away,  destroyed.  But  the  ten  kingdoms  did  not  become 
one.  l  Partly  strong  and  partly  broken,'  was  the  prophetic 
description.  And  such,  too,  has  been  the  historic  fact  con- 
cerning them.  With  the  book  of  history  open  before  you, 
I  ask  you,  Is  not  this  an  exact  representation  of  the  reman ts 
of  this  once  mighty  empire  1  It  ruled  with  unlimited  power. 
It  was  the  throned  mistress  of  the  world.  Its  scepter  was 
broken ;  its  throne  pulled  down ;  its  power  taken  away. 
Ten  kingdoms  were  formed  out  of  it ;  and  *  broken '  as  then 
it  was,  it  still  continues — i.  e. ,  '  partly  broken. '  For  its  di- 
mensions still  continue  as  when  the  kingdom  of  iron  stood 
upright  upon  its  feet.  And  then,  it  is  'partly  strong' — i. 
e.,  it  retains,  even  in  its  broken  state,  enough  of  its  iron 
strength  to  resist  all  attempts  to  mold  its  parts  together. 
'  This  shall  not  be,'  says  the  word  of  God.  'This  has  not 
been,'  replies  the  book  of  history. 

"But  then,  men  may  say,  'Another  plan  remains.  If 
force  cannot  avail,  diplomacy  and  reasons  of  State  may, — we 
will  try  them.'  And  so  the  prophecy  foreshadows  this  when 
it  says,  'They  shall  mingle  themselves  with  the  seed  of 
men  ' — i.  e. ,  marriages  shall  be  formed,  in  hope  thus  to  con- 
solidate their  power,  and,  in  the  end,  to  unite  these  divided 
kingdoms  into  one. 

"  And  shall  this  device  succeed?  No.  The  prophet  an- 
swers :  '  They  shall  not  cleave  one  to  another,  even  as  iron 
is  not  mixed  with  clay. '  And  the  history  of  Europe  is  but  a 
running  commentary  on  the  exact  fulfillment  of  these  words. 
From  the  time  of  Canute  to  the  present  age,  it  has  been  the 
policy  of  reigning  monarchs,  the  beaten  path  which  they 
have  trodden,  in  order  to  reach  a  mightier  scepter,  and  a 
wider  sway.  And  the  most  signal  instance  of  it,  which  his- 
tory has  recorded  in  our  own  day,  is  in  the  case  of  Napoleon. 
He  ruled  in  one  of  the  kingdoms  ;  Austria  was  another.  He 


CHAPTER  II,   VERSE  45.  85 

sought  to  gain  by  alliance  what  he  could  not  gain  by  force, 
i.  e.,  to  build  up  one  mighty,  consolidated  empire.  And 
did  he  succeed  ?  Nay.  The  very  power  with  which  he  was 
allied  proved  his  destruction,  in  the  troops  of  Blucher  on  the 
field  of  Waterloo  !  The  iron  would  not  mingle  with  clay. 
The  ten  kingdoms  continue  still. 

"  And  yet,  if,  as  the  result  of  these  alliances,  or  of  other 
causes,  that  number  is  sometimes  disturbed,  it  need  not  sur- 
prise us.  It  is,  indeed,  just  what  the  prophecy  seems  to  call 
for.  The  iron  was  '  mixed  with  the  clay. '  For  a  season,  in 
the  image,  you  might  not  distinguish  between  them.  But 
they  would  not  remain  so.  *  They  shall  not  cleave  one  to 
another. '  The  nature  of  the  substances  forbids  them  to  do 
so  in  the  one  case  ;  the  word  of  prophecy  in  the  other.  Yet 
there  was  to  be  an  attempt  to  mingle — nay,  more,  there  was 
an  approach  to  mingling  in  both  cases.  But  it  was  to  be 
abortive.  And  how  marked  the  emphasis  with  which  history 
affirms  this  declaration  of  the  word  of  God!" — Wm.  New- 
ton, Lectures  on  the  First  Two  Visions  of  the  Book  of  Daniel, 
pp.  34-36. 

Yet  with  all  these  facts  before,  them,  assert- 
ing their  power  through  the  overturning^  and 
changes  of  centuries,  the  efforts  of  warriors,  and 
the  diplomacy  and  intrigues  of  courts  and  kings, 
some  modern  expositors  have  manifested  such  a 
marvelous  misapprehension  of  this  prophecy,  as  to 
predict  a  future  universal  kingdom,  and  point  to  a 
European  ruler,  even  now  of  waning  years,  and  de- 
clining prestige,  as  "the  destined  monarch  of  the 
world."  Vain  is  the  breath  they  spend  in  promul- 
gating such  a  theory,  and  delusive  the  hopes  or 
fears  they  may  succeed  in  raising  over  such  an  ex- 
pectation.* 

*  Shortly  after  this  language  was  permed,  Napoleon  IIL,  this 


86  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

VKRSE  44.  And  in  the  days  of  these  kings  shall  the  God 
of  Heaven  set  up  a  kingdom,  which  shall  never  be  destroyed  ; 
and  the  kingdom  shall  not  be  left  to  other  people,  but  it 
shall  break  in  pieces  and  consume  all  these  kingdoms,  and 
it  shall  stand  forever.  45.  Forasmuch  as  thou  sawest  that 
the  stone  was  cut  out  of  the  mountain  without  hands,  and 
that  it  brake  in  pieces  the  iron,  the  brass,  the  clay,  the  sil- 
ver, and  the  gold  ;  the  great  God  hath  made  known  to  the 
king  what  shall  come  to  pass  hereafter;  and  the  dream  is 
certain  and  the  interpretation  thereof  sure. 

We  here  reach  the  climax  of  this  stupendous 
prophecy ;  and  when  Time  in  his  onward  flight 
shall  bring  us  to  the  sublime  scene  here  predicted, 
we  shall  have  reached  the  end  of  human  history. 
The  kingdom  of  God!  grand  terminus  of  this 
world's  sad,  degenerate,  and  changing  career ! 
Transporting  change,  for  all  the  righteous,  from 
gloom  to  glory,  from  strife  to  peace,  from  sin  to 
holiness,  from  death  to  life,  from  tyranny  and  op- 
pression to  the"  happy  freedom  and  blessed  privi- 
leges of  a  heavenly  kingdom  !  Glorious  transition, 
from  weakness  to  strength  from  the  changing  and 
decaying  to  the  immutable  and  eternal ! 

But  when  is  this  kingdom  to  be  established? 
May  we  hope  for  an  answer  to  an  inquiry  of  such 
momentous  concern  to  our  race  ?  These  are  the 
very  questions  on  which  the  word  of  God  does  not 
leave  us  in  ignorance ;  and  herein  is  seen  the  sur- 
passing value  of  this  heavenly  boon.  We  do  not 

"destined  monarch  of  the  world"!  was  dethroned,  and  died  in 
ignominious  retirement,  and  his  son  and  heir  has  since  fallen  by 
the  hands  of  savages  in  Africa. 


CHAPTER  II,    VERSE  44* 


87 


say  that  the  exact  time  is  revealed  either  in  this 
or  any  other  prophecy ;  but  so  near  an  approxima- 
tion is  given  that  the  generation  which  is  to  see  its 
establishment  may  mark,  unerringly,  its  approach, 
and  make  that  preparation  which  will  entitle  them 
to  share  in  all  its  glories. 

As  already  explained,  we  are  brought  down  by 
verses  41-43  this  side  of  the  division  of  the  Roman 
Empire  into  ten  kingdoms ;  which  division  was  ac- 
complished, according  to  Bishop  Lloyd,  in  A.  D. 
483.  The  kings,  or  kingdoms,  in  the  days  of  which 
the  God  of  Heaven  is  to  set  up  his  kingdom,  are 
evidently  these  kingdoms  which  arose  out  of  the 
Roman  Empire.  Then  the  kingdom  of  God  here 
brought  to  view  could  not  have  been  set  up,  as  is 
popularly  claimed,  in  connection  with  the  first  ad- 
vent of  Christ,  four  hundred  and  fifty  years  before. 
But  whether  we  apply  this  division  to  the  ten  king- 
doms or  not,  it  is  certain  that  some  kind  of  a  division 
was  to  take  place  in  that  kingdom  before  the  king- 
dom of  God  should  be  set  up;  for  the  prophecy 
expressly  declares,  "The  kingdom  shall  be  divided." 
And  this  is  equally  fatal  to  the  popular  view ;  for 
after  the  unification  of  the  first  elements  of  the 
Roman  power  down  to  the  days  of  Christ,  there  was 
no  division  of  the  kingdom ;  nor  during  his  days, 
nor  for  many  years  after,  did  any  such  thing  take 
place.  The  civil  wars  were  not  divisions  of  the 
empire ;  they  were  only  the  efforts  of  the  individu- 
als worshiping  at  the  shrine  of  ambition,  to  obtain 
supreme  control  of  the  empire.  The  occasional 


88  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

petty  revolts  of  distant  provinces,  suppressed  with 
almost  the  speed  and  power  of  a  thunder-bolt,  did 
not  constitute  a  division  of  the  kingdom.  And 
these  are  all  that  can  be  pointed  to  as  interfering 
with  the  unity  of  the  kingdom,  for  more  than 
three  hundred  years  this  side  the  days  of  Christ. 
This  one  consideration  is  sufficient  to  forever  dis- 
prove the  view  that  the  kingdom  of  God,,  which 
constitutes  the  fifth  kingdom  of  this  series,  as 
brought  to  view  in  Dan.  2,  was  set  up  at  the  com- 
mencement of  the  Christian  era.  But  a  thought 
more  may  be  in  place. 

1.  This  fifth  kingdom,  then,  could  not  have  been 
set  up  at  Christ's  first  advent,  because  it  is  not  to 
exist  contemporaneously  with  earthly  governments, 
but  to  succeed  them.  As  the  second  kingdom  suc- 
ceeded the  first,  the  third  the  second,  and  the  fourth 
the  third,  by  violence  and  overthrow,  so  the  fifth 
succeeds  the  fourth.  It  does  not  exist  at  the  same 
time  with  it.  The  fourth  kingdom  is  first  de- 
stroyed, the  fragments  are  removed,  the  terri- 
tory is  cleared,  and  then  the  fifth  is  established  as 
a  succeeding  kingdom  in  the  order  of.  time.  But 
the  church  has  existed  contemporaneously  with 
earthly  governments  ever  since  earthly  govern- 
ments were  formed.  There  was  a  church  in  Abel's 
day,  in  Enoch's,  in  Noah's,  in  Abraham's,  and  so  on 
to  the  present.  No ;  the  church  is  not  the  stone 
that  smote  the  image  upon  the  feet.  It  existed  too 
early  in  point  of  time,  and  the  work  in  which  it  is 
engaged  is  not  that  of  smiting  and  overthrowing 
earthly  governments. 


CHAPTER  II,    VERSE  44,  §9 

2.  The  fifth  kingdom  is  introduced  by  the  stone 
smiting  the  image.     What  part  of  the  image  does 
the  stone   smite  ?     Ans.  The  feet   and   toes.     But 
these  were  not  developed  until  four  centuries  and  a 
half  after   the   crucifixion  of   Christ.     The  image 
was,  at  the  time  of  the  crucifixion,  only  developed 
to  the  thighs,  so  to  speak,  and  if  the  kingdom  of 
God  was  there  set  up,  if  there  the  stone  smote  the 
image,  it  smote  it  upon  the  thighs,  not  upon  the 
feet,  where  the  prophecy  places  it. 

3.  The  stone  that  smites  the  image  is  cut  out  of 
the  mountain  without  hands.     The  margin  reads, 
"  Which  was  not  in  hand."     This  shows  that  the 
smiting  is  not  done  by  an  agent  acting  for  another, 
not  by  the  church,  for  instance,  in  the  hands  of 
Christ ;  but  it  is  a  work  which  the  Lord  does  by 
his  own  divine  power  without  any  human  agency. 

4.  Again,  the  kingdom  of  God  is  placed  before 
the  church  as  a  matter  of  hope.     The  Lord  did  not 
teach  his  disciples  a  prayer  which  in  two  or  three 
years  was  to  become  obsolete.     The  petition  may  as 
appropriately  ascend  from  the  lips  of  the  patient 
waiting  flock  in  these  last  days,  as  from  the  lips  of 
his  first  disciples,  "  Thy  kingdom  come." 

5.  We  have  plain  Scripture  declarations  to  es- 
tablish the   following   propositions:    (1)   That   the 
kingdom  was  still  future  at  the  time  of  our  Lord's 
last  passover.     Matt.  26 : 26.     (2)  That  Christ  did 
not  set  it  up  before  his  ascension.     Acts  1 : 6.     (3) 
That  flesh   and   blood   cannot   inherit   it.     1  Cor. 
15  : 50.     (4)  That  it  is  a  matter  of  promise  to  the 


90  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

apostles,  and  to  all  those  that  love  God.  Jas.  2 : 
5.  (5)  That  it  is  promised  in  the  future  to  the  lit- 
tle flock.  Luke  12:32.  (6)  That  through  much 
tribulation  the  saints  are  to  enter  therein.  Acts 
14:22.  (7)  That  it  is  to  be  set  up  when  Christ 
shall  judge  the  living  and  the  dead,  2  Tim.  4:1; 
and  (8)  That  this  is  to  be  when  he  shall  come  in 
his  glory  with  all  his  holy  angels.  Matt.  25 : 
31-34. 

But  it  may  be  asked,  Is  not  the  expression,  "  king- 
dom of  Heaven,"  used  in  the  New  Testament  in  ref- 
erence to  the  church  ?  It  may  be.  It  does  not 
come  within  the  province  of  a  brief  comment  on 
Dan.  2  : 44,  to  explain  the  meaning  of  the  expres- 
sion "  kingdom  of  Heaven  "  in  the  New  Testament. 
Provided  it  could  be  shown  that  it  there  refers 
every  time  to  the  church,  it  would  by  no  means 
prove  the  church  to  be  the  kingdom  spoken  of  here 
in  Daniel.  Our  object  is  to  ascertain  what  con- 
stitutes the  kingdom  here  brought  to  view  ;  and  we 
have  seen  that  the  prophecy  utterly  forbids  our 
applying  it  to  the  church;  inasmuch  as  by  the 
terms  of  the  prophecy  we  are  prohibited  from  look- 
ing for  it  till  four  hundred  and  eighty-three  years 
this  side  the  first  advent  of  Christ,  and  there  are 
indubitable  proofs  that  it  is  still  future.  We  will 
therefore  only  say,  in  regard  to  the  expression  in 
the  New  Testament,  that  it  sometimes  refers  to  the 
future  literal  kingdom,  sometimes  to  the  work  of 
grace  on  the  hearts  of  believers  and  the  spread  of 
the  gospel.  But  these  latter  are  only  elementary 


CHAPTER  II,   VERSES  44,  45-  91 

principles  of  the  kingdom,  and  operate  in  view  of, 
and  in  reference  to,  that  which  is  to  be  established 
in  the  future. 

It  may  be  objected  again,  that  when  the  stone 
smites  the  image,  the  iron,  the  brass,  silver,  and 
gold,  are  broken  to  pieces  together ;  hence  the  stone 
must  have  smitten  the  image  when  all  these  parts 
were  in  existence.  In  reply  to  which,  we  ask, 
What  is  meant  by  their  being  broken  to  pieces  to- 
gether? Does  it  mean  that  the  same  persons  who 
constituted  the  kingdom  of  gold  would  be  alive 
when  the  image  was  dashed  to  pieces  ?  No ;  else 
the  image  covers  but  the  duration  of  a  single  gen- 
eration. Does  it  mean  that  that  would  be  a  ruling 
kingdom  ?  No ;  for  there  is  a  succession  of  king- 
doms down  to  the  fourth.  Supposing,  then,  that 
the  fifth  kingdom  was  set  up  at  the  first  advent, 
how  were  the  brass,  silver,  and  gold,  in  existence 
then  any  more  than  at  the  present  day  ?  Does  it 
refer  to  the  time  of  the  second  resurrection,  when 
all  these  wicked  nations  will  be  raised  to  life  ?  No ; 
for  the  destruction  of  earthly  governments  in  this 
present  state,  which  is  symbolized  by  the  smiting 
of  the  image,  certainly  takes  place  at  the  end  of 
this  dispensation;  and  in  the  second  resurrection, 
people  are  not  distinguished  by  nationalities. 

No  objection  really  exists  in  the  point  under  con- 
sideration ;  for  all  the  kingdoms  symbolized  by  the 
image  are,  in  a  certain  sense,  still  in  existence. 
Chaldea  and  Assyria  are  still  the  first  division  of 
the  image,  Media  and  Persia,  the  second,  Macedonia, 


92  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

Greece,  Thrace,  Asia  Minor,  and  Egypt,  the  third. 
Political  life,  and  dominion,  it  is  true,  have  passed 
from  one  to  the  other,  till  it  is  all,  so  far  as  the 
image  is  concerned,  now  concentrated  in  the  divis- 
ions of  the  fourth  kingdom ;  but  the  others,  in  loca- 
tion and  substance,  though  without  dominion,  are 
still  there ;  and,  together  all  will  be  dashed  to  pieces 
when  the  fifth  kingdom  is  introduced. 

It  may  still  further  be  asked,  by  way  of  objec- 
tion, Have  not  the  ten  kingdoms,  in  the  days  of 
which  the  kingdom  of  God  was  to  be  set  up,  all 
passed  away  ?  and,  as  the  kingdom  of  God  is  not 
yet  set  up,  has  not  the  prophecy,  according  to  the 
view  here  advocated,  proved  a  failure  ?  We  an- 
swer, Those  kingdoms  have  not  yet  passed  away. 
We  are  yet  in  the  days  of  those  kings.  The  fol- 
lowing illustration  from  Dr.  Nelson's  "Cause  and 
Cure  of  Infidelity,"  pp.  374,  375,  will  set  this  point 
in  a  clear  light : — 

"Suppose  some  feeble  people  should  be  suffering  from 
the  almost  constant  invasions  of  numerous  and  ferocious 
enemies.  Suppose  some  powerful  and  benevolent  prince 
sends  them  word  that  he  will,  for  a  number  of  years,  say 
thirty,  maintain,  for  their  safety  along  the  frontier,  ten 
garrisons,  each  to  contain  one  hundred  well-armed  men. 
Suppose  the  forts  are  built  and  remain  a  few  years,  when 
two  of  them  are  burned  to  the  ground  and  rebuilt  without 
delay  ;  has  there  been  any  violation  of  the  sovereign's  word  ? 
No,  there  was  no  material  interruption  in  the  continuance 
of  the  walls  of  strength  ;  and  furthermore,  the  most  impor- 
tant part  of  the  safeguard  was  still  there.  Again,  suppose 
the  monarch  sends  and  has  two  posts  of  strength  demolished, 
but,  adjoining  the  spot  where  these  stood,  and  immediately, 


CHAPTER  II,    VERSES  44,  45.  93 

he  has  other  two  buildings  erected,  more  capacious,  and 
more  desirable  ;  does  the  promise  still  stand  good  ?  We 
answer  in  the  affirmative,  and  we  believe  no  one  would 
differ  with  us.  Finally,  suppose,  in  addition  to  the  ten  gar- 
risons, it  could  be  shown  that  for  several  months  during  the 
thirty  years,  one  more  had  been  maintained  there  ;  that  for 
one  or  two  years  out  of  the  thirty,  there  had  been  there 
eleven  instead  of  ten  fortifications  ;  shall  we  call  it  a  defeat 
or  a  failure  in  the  original  undertaking  I  Or  shall  any  seem- 
ing interruptions,  such  as  have  been  stated,  destroy  the  pro- 
priety of  our  calling  these  the  ten  garrisons  of  the  frontier  ? 
The  answer  is,  No,  without  dispute. 

"  So  it  is,  and  has  been,  respecting  the  ten  kingdoms  of 
Europe,  once  under  the  Roman  scepter.  They  have  been 
there  for  twelve  hundred  and  sixty  years.  If  several  have 
had  their  names  changed,  according  to  the  caprice  of  him 
who  conquered,  this  change  of  name  did  not  destroy  exist- 
ence. If  others  have  had  their  territorial  limits  changed, 
the  nation  was  still  there.  If  others  have  fallen  while  suc- 
cessors were  forming  in  their  room,  the  ten  horns  were  still 
there.  If,  during  a  few  years  out  of  a  thousand,  there  were 
more  than  ten,  if  some  temporary  power  reared  its  head, 
seeming  to  claim  a  place  with  the  rest,  and  soon  disappeared, 
it  has  not  caused  the  beast  to  have  less  than  ten  horns." 

Scott  remarks : — 

"  It  is  certain  that  the  Roman  Empire  was  divided  into 
ten  kingdoms ;  and  though  they  might  be  sometimes  more, 
and  sometimes  fewer,  yet  they  were  still  known  by  the  name 
of  the  ten  kingdoms  of  the  western  empire." 

Thus  the  subject  is  cleared  of  all  difficulty. 
Time  has  fully  developed  this  great  image  in  all  its 
parts.  Most  strictly  does  it  represent  the  events 
it  was  designed  to  symbolize.  It  stands  com- 
plete upon  its  feet.  Thus  it  has  stood  for  nearly 


94  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

fourteen  hundred  years.  It  waits  to  be  smitten 
upon  the  feet  by  the  stone  cut  out  of  the  mount- 
ain without  hand,  that  is,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
This  is  to  be  accomplished  when  the  Lord  shall  be 
revealed  in  flaming  fire,  taking  vengeance  on  them 
that  know  not  God,  and  that  obey  not  the  gospel  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  In  the  days  of  these  kings, 
the  God  of  Heaven  is  to  set  up  a  kingdom.  We 
are  in  the  days  of  these  kings.  We  have  been 
here  nearly  fourteen  centuries.  So  far  as  this 
prophecy  is  concerned,  the  very  next  event  is  the 
setting  up  of  God's  everlasting  kingdom.  Other 
prophecies  and  innumerable  signs  show  unmistak- 
ably its  immediate  proximity. 

The  coming  kingdom  !  This  ought  to  be  the  all- 
absorbing  topic  of  the  present  generation.  Reader, 
are  you  ready  for  the  issue  ?  He  who  enters  this 
kingdom  enters  it  not  for  a  lifetime  merely,  such  as 
men  live  in  this  present  state,  not  to  see  it  degener- 
ate, not  to  see  it  overthrown  by  a  succeeding  and 
more  powerful  kingdom ;  but  he  enters  it  to  partici- 
pate in  all  its  privileges  and  blessings,  and  to  share 
its  glories  forever ;  for  this  kingdom  is  not  to  be  left 
to  other  people.  Again  we  ask  you,  Are  you  ready  ? 
The  terms  of  heirship  are  most  liberal :  "  If  ye  are 
Christ's,  then  are  ye  Abraham's  seed,  and  heirs  ac- 
cording to  promise."  Are  you  on  terms  of  friend- 
ship with  Christ,  the  coming  King  ?  Do  you  love 
his  character  ?  Are  you  trying  to  walk  humbly  in 
his  footsteps  and  obey  his  teachings  ?  If  not,  read 
your  fate  in  the  cases  of  those  in  the  parable,  of 


CHAPTER  U,   VERSES  46-49.  95 

whom  it  was  said,  Those  mine  enemies  that  would 
not  have  me  to  reign  over  them,  bring  hither  and 
slay  them  before  me.  There  is  to  be  no  rival  king- 
dom where  you  can  find  an  asylum,  if  you  remain 
an  enemy  to  this ;  for  this  is  to  occupy  all  the  terri- 
tory ever  possessed  by  earthly  kingdoms.  It  is  to 
fill  the  whole  earth.  Happy  they  to  whom  the 
rightful  Sovereign,  the  all-conquering  King,  at  last 
can  say,  "  Come,  ye  blessed  of  my  Father,  inherit 
the  kingdom  prepared  for  you  from  the  foundation 
of  the  world." 

VERSE  46.  Then  the  king  Nebuchadnezzar  fell  upon  his 
face,  and  worshiped  Daniel,  and  commanded  that  they  should 
offer  an  oblation  and  sweet  odors  unto  him.  47.  The  king 
answered  unto  Daniel,  and  said,  Of  a  truth  it  is,  that  your 
God  is  a  Go'd  of  gods,  and  a  Lord  of  kings,  and  a  revealer 
of  secrets,  seeing  thou  couldest  reveal  this  secret.  48.  Then 
the  king  made  Daniel  a  great  man,  and  gave  him  many 
great  gifts,  and  Tiiacle  him  ruler  over  the  whole  province  of 
Babylon,  and  chief  of  the  governors  over  all  the  wise  men  of 
Babylon.  49.  Then  Daniel  requested  of  the  king,  and  he 
set  Slwlrach,  Meshach,  and  Abed-nego,  over  the  affairs  of 
the  province  of  Babylon ;  but  Daniel  sat  in  the  gate  of  the 
king. 

We  have  dwelt  quite  at  length  on  the  interpreta- 
tion of  the  dream,  which  Daniel  made  known  to 
the  Chaldean  monaT^ch.  From  this,  we  must  now 
return  to  the  palace  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  and  to 
Daniel  as  he  stands  in  the  presence  of  the  king,  hav- 
ing made  known  to  him  the  dream  and  the  inter- 
pretation thereof,  while  the  courtiers,  and  the  baf- 
fled soothsayers,  and  astrologers,  wait  around  in  si- 
lent awe  and  wonder. 


96  THOUGHTS  Otf  DAtfHSL. 

It  might  be  expected  that  a  youthful  monarch, 
raised  to  the  highest  earthly  throne,  and  in  the  full 
flush  of  uninterrupted  success,  would  scarcely  brook 
to  be  told  that  his  kingdom,  which  he  designed  to 
last  forever,  and  doubtless  fondly  hoped  would  so 
last,  was  to  be  overthrown  by  another  people.  Yet 
Daniel  plainly  and  boldly  made  known  this  fact  to 
the  king;  and  the  king,  so  far  from  being  offended , 
fell  upon  his  face  before  the  prophet  of  God,  and  of- 
fered him  worship.  Daniel  doubtless  immediately 
countermanded  the  orders  which  the  king  issued  to 
pay  him  divine  honors.  That  Daniel  had  some  com- 
munication with  the  king  which  is  not  here  recorded 
is  evident  from  verse  47 :  "  The  king  answered  unto 
Daniel,"  etc.  And  it  may  be  still  further  inferred 
that  Daniel  labored  to  turn  the  king's  feelings  of 
reverence  from  himself  to  the  God  of  Heaven,  mas- 
much  as  the  king  replies,  "  Of  a  truth  it  is  that 
your  God  is  a  God  of  gods,  and  a  Lord  of  kings." 

Then  the  king  made  Daniel  a  great  man,  There 
are  two  things  which  in  this  life  are  specially  con- 
sidered to  make  a  man  great,  and  both  these  Daniel 
received  from  the  king.  1.  Riches.  A  man  is  con- 
sidered great  if  he  is  a  man  of  wealth  ;  and  we 
read  that  the  king  gave  him  many  and  great  gifts. 
2.  Power.  If  in  conjunction  with  riches,  a  man  has 
power,  certainly  in  popular  estimation  he  is  consid- 
ered a  great  man ;  and  this  was  bestowed  upon 
Daniel  in  abundant  measure.  He  was  made  ruler 
over  the  whole  province  of  Babylon,  and  chief  of 
the  governors  over  all  the  wise  men  of  Babylon. 


CHAPTER  II,    VERSES  46,  49.  97 

Thus  speedily  and  abundantly  did  Daniel  begin 
to  be  rewarded  for  his  fidelity  to  his  own  conscience, 
and  the  requirements  of  God.  So  great  was  Ba- 
laam's desire  for  the  presents  of  a  certain  heathen 
king,  that  he  endeavored  to  obtain  them  in  spite  of 
the  Lord's  expressed  will  to  the  contrary,  and  thus 
signally  failed.  Daniel  did  not  act  with  a  view  to 
obtaining  these  presents ;  yet  by  maintaining  his  in- 
tegrity with  the  Lord,  they  were  given  abundantly 
into  his  hands.  His  advancement,  both  with  respect 
to  wealth  and  power,  was  a  matter  of  no  small  mo- 
ment with  him,  as  it  enabled  him  to  be  of  benefit 
to  his  fellow-countrymen  less  favored  than  himself 
in  their  long  captivity. 

Daniel  did  not  become  bewildered  nor  intoxicated 
by  his  signal  victory  and  his  wonderful  advancement. 
He  first  remembers  the  three  who  were  companions 
with  him  in  anxiety  respecting  the  king's  matter; 
and  as  they  had  helped  him  with  their  prayers,  he 
determines  that  they  shall  share  with  him  in  his 
honors.  At  his  request  they  were  placed  over  the 
affairs  of  Babylon ;  while  Daniel  himself  sat  in  the 
gate  of  the  king.  The  gate  was  the  place  where 
councils  were  held,  and  matters  of  chief  moment 
were  deliberated  upon.  The  record  is  a  simple  dec- 
laration that  Daniel  became  chief  counselor  to  the 
king. 


III. 


THE    FIERY    ORDEAL. 

VERSE  1.  Nebuchadnezzar  the  king  made  an  image  of 
gold,  whose  height  was  threescore  cubits,  and  the  breadth 
thereof  six  cubits  ;  he  set  it  up  in  the  plain  of  Dura,  in  the 
Province  of  Babylon. 

There  is  a  conjecture  extant,  that  this  image  had 
some  reference  to  the  dream  of  the  king  as  de- 
scribed in  the  previous  chapter,  it  having  been 
erected  only  twenty-three  years  subsequently,  ac- 
cording to  the  marginal  chronology.  In  that  dream 
the  head  was  of  gold,  representing  Nebuchadnezzar's 
kingdom.  That  was  succeeded  by  metals  of  infe- 
rior quality,  denoting  a  succession  of  kingdoms. 
Nebuchadnezzar  was  doubtless  quite  gratified  that 
his  kingdom  should  be  represented  by  the  gold ; 
but  that  it  should  ever  be  succeeded  by  another 
kingdom  was  not  so  pleasing.  Hence,  instead  of 
having  simply  the  head  of  his  image  of  gold,  he 
made  it  all  of  gold,  to  denote  that  the  gold  of  the 
head  should  extend  through  the  entire  image ;  or, 
in  other  words,  that  his  kingdom  should  not  give 
way  to  another  kingdom,  but  be  perpetual. 

It  is  probable  that  the  height  here  mentioned,  90 
feet  at  the  lowest  estimate,  was  not  the  height  of 

(98) 


CHAPTER  IlJt    VEKSES  2-7.  99 

the  image  proper,  but  included  the  pedestal  also. 
Nor  is  it  probable  that  any  more  than  the  image 
proper,  if  even  that,  was  of  solid  gold.  It  could 
have  been  overlaid  with  thin  plates,  nicely  joined, 
at  a  much  less  expense,  without  detracting  at  all 
from  its  external  appearance. 

VERSE  2.  Then  Nebuchadnezzar  the  king  sent  to  gather 
together  the  princes,  the  governors,  and  the  captains,  the 
judges,  the  treasurers,  the  counselors,  the  sheriffs,  and  all 
the  rulers  of  the  provinces,  to  come  to  the  dedication  of  the 
image  which  Nebuchadnezzar  the  king  had  set  up.  3.  Then 
the  princes,  the  governors,  and  captains,  the  judges,  the 
treasurers,  the  counselors,  the  sheriffs,  and  all  the  rulers  of 
the  provinces,  were  gathered  together  unto  the  dedication 
of  the  image  that  Nebuchadnezzar  the  king  had  set  up  ;  and 
they  stood  before  the  image  that  Nebuchadnezzar  had  set 
up.  4  Then  a  herald  cried  aloud,  To  you  it  is  commanded, 
O  people,  nations,  and  languages,  5,  That  at  what  time  ye 
hear  the  sound  of  the  cornet,  flute,  harp,  sackbut,  psaltery, 
dulcimer,  and  all  kinds  of  music,  ye  fall  down  and  worship 
the  golden  image  that  Nebuchadnezzar  the  king  hath  set 
up  ;  6  ;  And  whoso  falleth  not  down  and  worshipeth  shall 
the  same  hour  be  cast  into  the  midst  of  a  burning  fiery  fur- 
nace. 7.  Therefore,  at  that  time,  when  all  the  people  heard 
the  sound  of  the  cornet,  flute,  harp,  sackbut,  psaltery,  and 
all  kinds  of  music,  all  the  people,  the  nations,  and  the  lan- 
guages, fell  down  and  worshiped  the  golden  image  that  Neb- 
uchadnezzar the  king  had  set  up. 

The  dedication  of  this  image  was  made  a  great 
occasion.  The  chief  men  of  all  the  kingdom  were 
gathered  together.  So  much  pains  and  expense  will 
men  undergo  in  sustaining  idolatrous  and  heathen 
systems  of  worship.  So  it  is,  and  ever  has  been. 
Alas !  that  those  who  have  the  true  religion  should 


100  THOUGHT '8  ON  DANIEL. 

be  so  far  outdone  in  these  respects  by  the  upholders 
of  the  false  and  counterfeit.  The  worship  was  ac- 
companied with  music ;  and  whoso  should  fail  to 
participate  therein  was  threatened  with  a  fiery  fur- 
nace. Such  are  ever  the  strongest  motives  to  im- 
pel men  in  any  direction,  pleasure  on  the  one  hand, 
pain  on  the  other. 

In  verse  6  is  the  first  mention  we  have  in  the 
Bible  of  the  division  of  time  into  hours.  It  was 
probably  the  invention  of  the  Chaldeans. 

VERSE  8.  Wherefore  at  that  time  certain  Chaldeans  came 
near,  and  accused  the  Jews.  9.  They  spake  and  said  to  the 
king  Nebuchadnezzar,  O  King,  live  forever.  10.  Thou,  O 
King  hast  made  a  decree,  that  every  man  that  shall  hear  the 
sound  of  the  cornet,  flute,  harp,  sackbut,  psaltery,  and  dul- 
cimer, and  all  kinds  of  music,  shall  fall  down  and  worship 
the  golden  image  ;  11 ;  And  whoso  falleth  not  down  and  wor- 
shipeth,  that  he  should  be  cast  into  the  midst  of  a  burning 
fiery  furnace.  12.  There  are  certain  Jews  whom  thou  hast 
set  over  the  affairs  of  the  province  of  Babylon,  Shadrach, 
Meshach,  and  Abed-nego  ;  these  men,  O  King,  have  not  re- 
garded thee ;  they  serve  not  thy  gods,  nor  worship  the  golden 
image  which  thou  hast  set  up. 

Thefee  Chaldeans  who  accused  the  Jews  were 
probably  the  sect  of  philosophers  who  went  by 
that  name,  and  who  were  still  smarting  under  the 
chagrin  of  their  ignominious  failure  in  respect  to 
their  interpretation  of  the  king's  dream  of  chapter 
2.  They  were  eager  to  seize  upon  any  pretext  to 
accuse  the  Jews  before  the  king,  and  either  disgrace 
or  destroy  them.  They  work  upon  the  king's  prej- 
udice by  strong  intimations  of  their  ingratitude: 


CHAPTER  III,   VERSES  13-18.  101 

Thou  hast  set  them  over  the  affairs  of  Babylon,  and 
yet  they  have  disregarded  thee.  Where  Daniel 
was  upon  this  occasion,  is  not  known.  He  was 
probably  absent  on  some  business  of  the  empire,  the 
importance  of  which  demanded  his  presence.  But 
why  should  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abed-nego, 
since  they  knew  they  could  not  worship  the  image, 
be  present  on  the  occasion  ?  It  was  because  they 
were  willing  to  comply  with  the  king's  require- 
ments as  far  as  they  could  without  compromising 
their  religion.  The  king  required  them  to  be  pres- 
ent. With  this  they  could  comply,  and  did.  He 
required  them  to  worship  the  image.  This  their 
religion  forbade,  and  this  they  therefore  refused. 

VERSE  13.  Then  Nebuchadnezzar  in  his  rage  and  fury 
commanded  to  bring  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abed-nego. 
Then  they  brought  these  men  before  the  king.  14.  Nebu- 
chadnezzar spake  and  said  unto  them,  Is  it  true,  O  Shadrach, 
Meshach,  and  Abed-nego,  do  not  ye  serve  my  gods,  nor  wor- 
ship the  golden  image  which  I  have  set  up  1  15.  Now  if  ye 
be  ready  that  at  what  time  ye  hear  the  sound  of  the  cornet, 
flute,  harp,  sackbut,  psaltery,  and  dulcimer,  and  all  kinds, 
of  music,  ye  fall  down  and  worship  the  image  which  I  have 
made ;  well :  but  if  ye  worship  not,  ye  shall  be  cast  the  same 
hour  into  the  midst  of  a  burning  fiery  furnace ;  and  who  is 
that  God  that  shall  deliver  you  out  of  my  hands  ?  16.  Shad- 
rach, Meshach,  and  Abed-nego,  answered  and  said  to  the 
king,  O  Nebuhadnezzar,  we  are  not  careful  to  answer  thee 
in  this  matter.  17.  If  it  be  so,  our  God  whom  we  serve  is 
able  to  deliver  us  from  the  burning  fiery  furnace,  and  he 
will  deliver  us  out  of  thine  hand,  O  king.  18.  But  if  not, 
be  it  known  unto  thee,  O  king,  that  we  will  not  serve  thy 
gods,  nor  worship  the  golden  image  which  thou  has  set  up. 


102  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

The  forbearance  of  the  king  is  shown  in  his 
granting  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abed-nego,  an- 
other trial,  after  their  first  failure  to  comply  with 
his  requirements.  Doubtless  the  matter  was  thor- 
oughly understood.  They  could  not  plead  igno- 
rance. They  knew  just  what  the  king  wanted, 
and  their  failure  to  do  it  was  an  intentional  and 
deliberate  refusal  to  obey  him.  With  most  kings 
this  would  have  been  enough  to  seal  their  fate. 
But  no,  says  Nebuchadnezzar,  I  will  overlook  this, 
if  upon  a  second  trial  they  comply  with  the  law. 
But  they  informed  the  king  that  he  need  not 
trouble  himself  to  repeat  the  farce.  "  We  are  not 
careful,"  said  they,  "  to  answer  thee  in  this  matter." 
That  is,  you  need  not  be  to  any  further  trouble  to 
give  us  another  trial,  our  mind  is  made  up.  We 
can  answer  just  as  well  now  as  at  any  future  time ; 
and  our  answer  is,  "We  will  not  serve  thy  gods,  nor 
worship  the  golden  image  which  thou  hast  set  up. 
Our  God  can  deliver  if  he  will;  but  if  not,  it  is  just 
the  same.  We  know  his  will,  and  to  that  we  shall 
render  unconditional  obedience."  Their  answer  was 
both  honest  and  decisive. 

VERSE  19.  Then  was  Nebuchadnezzar  full  of  fury,  and 
the  form  of  his  visage  was  changed  against  Shadrach,  Me- 
shach, and  Abed-nego  ;  therefore  he  spake,  and  commanded 
that  they  should  heat  the  furnace  one  seven  times  more  than 
it  was  wont  to  be  heated.  20.  And  he  commanded  the  most 
mighty  men  that  were  in  his  army  to  bind  Shadrach,  Me- 
shach, and  Abed-nego  ;  and  to  cast  them  into  the  burning 
fiery  furnace.  21.  Then  these  men  were  bound  in  their 
coats,  their  hosen,  and  their  hats,  and  their  other  garments, 


CHAPTER  III,   VERSES  19-25.  103 

and  were  cast  into  the  midst  of  the  burning  fiery  furnace. 

22.  Therefore  because  the  king's  commandment  was  urgent 
and  the  furnace  exceeding  hot,  the  flame  of  the  fire  slew 
those  men  that  took  up  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abed-nego. 

23.  And  these  three  men,  Shadrach,   Meshach,  and  Abed- 
nego,  fell  down  bound  into  the  midst  of  the  burning  fiery 
furnace.     24.  Then  Nebuchadnezzar  the  king  was  aston- 
ished, and  rose  up  in  haste,  and  spake,  and  said  unto  his 
counselors,  Did  not  we  cast  three  men  bound  into  the  midst 
of  the  fire  ?     They  answered  and  said  unto  the  king,  True,  O 
King.     25.   He  answered  and  said,  Lo,  I  see  four  men  loose, 
walking  in  the  midst  of  the  fire,  and  they  have  no  hurt ;  and 
the  form  of  the  fourth  is  like  the  Son  of  God. 

Nebuchadnezzar  was  not  entirely  free  from  the 
faults  and  follies  that  ever  beset  an  absolute  mon- 
arch. Intoxicated  with  unlimited  power,  he  could 
not  brook  disobedience  or  contradiction.  Let  his 
authority  be  resisted,  on  however  good  grounds, 
and  he  exhibits  the  weakness  common  to  our  fallen 
humanity  under  circumstances  like  his,  and  flies 
into  a  passion.  Ruler  of  the  world,  he  was  not 
equal  to  that  still  harder  task,  of  ruling  his  own 
spirit.  And  even  the  form  of  his  visage  was 
changed.  From  the  calm,  dignified,  self-possessed 
ruler  that  he  should  have  appeared,  he  betrayed 
himself,  in  look  and  act,  the  slave  of  ungovernable 
passion. 

The  furnace  was  heated  one  seven  times  hotter, 
or  in  other  words,  to  its  utmost  capacity.  The 
king  overreached  himself  in  this ;  for  even  if  the 
fire  had  been  suffered  to  have  its  ordinary  effect 
upon  the  ones  he  cast  in,  it  would  only  have  de- 
stroyed them  the  sooner.  Nothing  would  have 


104  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

been  gained  by  that  means  on  the  part  of  the  king. 
But  seeing  they  were  delivered  from  it,  much  was 
gained  on  the  part  of  the  cause  of  God  and  his 
truth ;  for  the  more  intense  the  heat,  the  greater 
and  more  impressive  the  miracle  of  being  delivered 
from  it.  Every  circumstance  was  calculated  to 
show  the  direct  power  of  God.  They  were  bound 
in  all  their  garments,  but  came  out  with  not  even 
the  smell  of  fire  upon  them.  The  most  mighty 
men  in  the  kingdom  were  chosen  to  cast  them  in . 
not  the  most  mighty  as  regards  stature  and 
strength,  bub  the  highest  in  rank  and  dignity. 
These  the  fire  slew  ere  they  came  in  contact  with 
it ;  while  on  the  Hebrews  it  had  no  effect,  though 
they  were  in  the  very  midst  of  its  flames.  It  was 
evident  that  the  fire  was  under  the  control  of  some 
supernatural  intelligence  ;  for  while  it  had  effect 
upon  the  cords  with  which  they  were  bound,  de- 
stroying them,  so  that  they  were  free  to  walk  about 
in  the  midst  of  the  fire,  it  did  not  even  singe  their 
garments.  They  did  not,  as  soon  as  free,  spring  out 
of  the  furnace,  but  continued  therein ;  for,  first,  the 
king  had  put  them  in,  and  it  was  his  to  call  them 
out;  and,  secondly,  the  form  of  the  fourth  was 
with  them,  and  in  his  presence  they  could  be  con- 
tent and  joyful,  as  well  in  the  furnace  of  fire,  as  in 
the  delights  and  luxuries  of  the  palace.  Let  us  in 
all  our  trials,  afflictions,  persecutions,  and  straitened 
places,  but  have  the  form  of  the  fourth  with  us, 
and  it  is  enough. 

The  king  said,  And  the  form  of  the  fourth  is  like 


CHAPTER  III,   VERSES  26-SO.  1Q5 

the  Son  of  God.  This  language  is  by  some  sup- 
posed to  refer  to  Christ.  But  it  is  not  likely  that  the 
king  had  any  idea  of  the  Saviour.  A  better  ren- 
dering, according  to  good  authorities,  would  be 
"  like  a  son  of  the  gods ; "  that  is,  he  had  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  supernatural  or  divine  being.  Neb- 
uchadnezzar subsequently  called  him  an  angel. 

What  a  scathing  rebuke  upon  the  king  for  his 
folly  and  madness,  was  the  deliverance  of  these 
worthies  from  the  fiery  furnace !  The  Chaldeans 
worshiped  fire;  yet  the  fire  slew  its  devotees 
and  spared  its  enemies.  A  higher  power  than  any 
on  earth  had  vindicated  those  who  stood  firm 
against  idolatry,  and  poured  contempt  on  the  wor- 
ship and  requirements  of  the  king. 

VERSE  26.  Then  Nebuchadnezzar  came  near  to  the  mouth 
of  the  burning  fiery  furnace,  and  spake,  and  said,  Shadrach, 
Meshach,  and  Abed-nego,  ye  servants  of  the  most  high  God; 
come  forth,  and  come  hither.  Then  Shadrach,  Meshach, 
and  Abed-nego,  came  forth  of  the  midst  of  the  fire.  27. 
And  the  princes,  governors,  and  captains,  and  the  king's 
counselors,  being  gathered  together,  saw  these  men,  upon 
whose  bodies  the  fire  had  no  power,  nor  was  a  hair  of  their 
head  singed,  neither  were  their  coats  changed,  nor  the  smell 
of  fire  had  passed  on  them.  28.  Then  Nebuchadnezzar  spake, 
and  said,  Blessed  be  the  God  of  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and 
Abed-nego,  who  hath  sent  his  angel,  and  delivered  his  serv- 
ants that  trusted  in  him,  and  have  changed  the  king's  word, 
and  yielded  their  bodies,  that  they  might  not  serve  nor 
worship  any  god,  except  their  own  God.  29.  Therefore  I 
make  a  decree,  That  every  people,  nation,  and  language, 
which  speak  anything  amiss  against  the  God  of  Shadrach, 
Meshach,  and  Abed-nego,  shall  be  cut  in  pieces,  and  their 
houses  shall  be  made  a  dunghill ;  because  there  is  no  other 


I  ()  Q  THO  UOHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

God  that  can  deliver  after  this  sort.  30.  Then  the  king  pro- 
moted Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abed-iiego,  in  the  province 
of  Babylon. 

When  bidden,  these  three  men  came  forth  from 
the  furnace.  Then  the  princes,  governors,  and  king's 
counselors,  through  whose  advice,  or  at  least  concur- 
rence, they  had  been  cast  into  the  furnace  (for  the 
king  said  to  them,  verse  24,  Did  not  we  cast  three 
men  bound  into  the  midst  of  the  fire  ?),  were  gathered 
together  to  look  upon  these  men,  and  have  optical 
and  tangible  proof  of  their  wonderful  preservation. 
The  worship  of  the  great  image  was  lost  sight  of. 
The  whole  interest  of  this  vast  concourse  of  people 
was  now  concentrated  upon  these  three  remarkable 
men.  All  men's  thoughts  and  minds  were  full  of 
this  wonderful  occurrence.  And  how  the  knowledge 
of  it  would  be  spread  abroad  throughout  the  empire, 
as  they  should  return  to  their  respective  provinces. 
What  a  notable  instance  in  which  God  caused  the 
wrath  of  man  to  praise  him. 

Then  the  king  blessed  the  God  of  Shadrach,  Me- 
shach, and  Abed-nego,  and  made  a  decree  that  none 
should  speak  against  him.  This,  the  Chaldeans  had 
undoubtedly  done.  In  those  days,  each  nation  had 
its  god,  or  its  gods ;  for  there  were  gods  many  and 
lords  many.  And  the  victory  of  one  nation  over 
another  was  attributed  to  the  fact  that  the  gods  of 
the  conquered  nation  were  not  able  to  deliver  them 
from  the  conquerors.  The  Jews  had  been  wholly 
subjugated  by  the  Babylonians,  on  which  account 
they  had  no  doubt  spoken  disparagingly  or  contempt- 


r 


CHAPTER  III,    VERSES  26-SO.  1Q7 

uously  of  the  God  of  the  Jews.  This  the  king  now 
prohibits ;  for  he  is  plainly  given  to  understand  that 
his  success  against  the  Jews  was  owing  to  their  sins, 
not  to  any  lack  of  power  on  the  part  of  their  God. 
His  decree  was  good  so  far  as  it  went ;  but  it  fell  far 
short  of  what  it  should  have  been.  While  it  forbade 
all  speaking  against  the  God  of  the  Jews,  it  still  per- 
mitted the  nations  to  retain  their  false  gods.  While 
acknow]edging  the  claims  of  the  true  God  to  respect 
and  devotion,  he  should  have  prohibited  idolatry, 
which  was  especially  rebuked  by  the  gracious  deal- 
ings of  God  with  his  steadfast  servants.  Had  these 
Jews  been  time-servers,  the  name  of  the  true  God 
had  not  thus  been  exalted  in  Babylon.  What  honor 
does  the  Lord  put  upon  them  that  are  steadfast 
toward  him ! 

The  king  promoted  them ;  that  is,  he  restored  to 
them  the  offices  which  they  held  before  the  charges 
of  disobedience  and  treason  were  brought  against 
them.  At  the  end  of  verse  30,  the  Septuagint  adds: 
"  And  he  advanced  them  to  be  governors  over  all  the 
Jews  that  were  in  his  kingdom."  It  is  not  probable 
that  he  insisted  on  any  further  worship  of  his  image. 


l  IV. 


NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S    DECREE. 

VERSE  1.  Nebuchadnezzar  the  king,  unto  all  people,  na- 
tions, and  languages,  that  dwell  in  all  the  earth  :  Peace  be 
multiplied  unto  you.  2.  I  thought  it  good  to  shew  the  signs 
and  wonders  that  the  high  God  hath  wrought  toward  me. 
3.  How  great  are  his  signs  !  and  how  mighty  are  his  wonders  ! 
his  kingdom  is  an  everlasting  kingdom,  and  his  dominion  is 
from  generation  to  generation. 

This  chapter  opens,  says  Dr.  Clarke,  with  "  a  reg- 
ular decree,  and  one  of  the  most  ancient  on  record." 
It  was  from  the  pen  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  and  was 
promulgated  in  the  usual  form.  He  wishes  to  make 
known,  not  to  a  few  only,  but  to  all  people,  nations, 
and  languages,  the  wonderful  dealings  of  God  with 
him.  People  are  ever  ready  to  tell  what  God  has 
done  for  them  in  the  way  of  benefits  and  blessings. 
We  ought  to  be  no  less  ready  to  tell  what  God  has 
done  for  us  in  the  way  of  humiliation  and  chastise- 
ments. And  Nebuchadnezzar  sets  us  a  good  exam- 
ple in  this  respect,  as  we  shall  see  from  the  subse- 
quent portions  of  this  chapter.  He  frankly  confesses 
the  vanity  and  pride  of  his  heart,  and  the  means  that 
God  took  to  abase  him.  With  a  genuine  spirit  of 
repentance  and  humiliation,  he  thinks  it  good,  of  his 
own  free  will,  to  show  these  things,  that  the  sover- 
eignty of  God  may  be  extolled,  and  his  name  adored. 

(108) 


CHAPTER  IV,   VERSES  4-18.  1()9 

In  reference  to  the  kingdom,  he  no  longer  claims  im- 
mutability for  his  own,  but  makes  a  full  surrender  to 
God  in  acknowledging  his  kingdom  alone  to  be  ever- 
lasting, and  his  dominion  from  generation  to  gen- 
eration. 

VERSE  4.  I  Nebuchadnezzar  was  at  rest  in  mine  house, 
and  flourishing  in  my  palace  :  5:1  saw  a  dream  which  made 
me  afraid,  and  the  thoughts  upon  my  bed  and  the  visions  of 
my  head  troubled  me.  6.  Therefore  made  I  a  decree  to  bring 
in  all  the  wise  men  of  Babylon  before  me,  that  they  might 
make  known  unto  me  the  interpretation  of  the  dream.  7. 
Then  came  in  the  magicians,  the  astrologers,  the  Chaldeans, 
and  the  soothsayers  ;  and  I  told  the  dream  before  them  ;  but 
they  did  not  make  known  unto  me  the  interpretation  thereof. 
8.  But  at  the  last  Daniel  came  in  before  me,  whose  name  was 
Belteshazzar,  according  to  the  name  of  my  god,  and  in  whom 
is  "the  spirit  of  the  holy  gods :  and  before  him  I  told  the 
dream,  saying,  9,  O  Belteshazzar,  master  of  the  magi- 
cians, because  I  know  that  the  spirit  of  the  holy  gods  is  in 
thee,  and  no  secret  troubleth  thee,  tell  me  the  visions  of  my 
dream  that  I  have  seen,  and  the  interpretation  thereof.  10. 
Thus  were  the  visions  of  mine  head  in  my  bed  :  I  saw,  and 
behold  a  tree  in  the  midst  of  the  earth,  and  the  height 
thereof  was  great.  11.  The  tree  grew,  and  was  strong,  and 
the  height  thereof  reached  unto  heaven,  and  the  sight  thereof 
to  the  end  of  all  the  earth ;  12 ;  The  leaves  thereof  were 
fair,  and  the  fruit  thereof  much,  and  in  it  was  meat  for  all : 
the  beasts  of  the  field  had  shadow  under  it,  and  the  fowls  of 
the  heaven  dwelt  in  the  boughs  thereof,  and  all  flesh  was  fed 
of  it.  13.  I  saw  in  the  visions  of  my  head  upon  my  bed, 
and,  behold,  a  watcher  and  an  holy  one  came  down  from 
Heaven  ;  14  ;  He  cried  aloud,  and  said  thus,  Hew  down  the 
tree,  and  cut  off  his  branches,  shake  off  his  leaves,  and  scat- 
ter his  fruit  :  let  the  beasts  get  away  from  under  it,  and  the 
fowls  from  his  branches.  15.  Nevertheless,  leave  the  stump 


HO  THO UOHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

of  his  roots  in  the  earth,  even  with  a  band  of  iron  and  brass, 
in  the  tender  grass  of  the  field ;  and  let  it  be  wet  with  the 
dew  of  heaven,  and  let  his  portion  be  with  the  beasts  in  the 
grass  of  the  earth  ;  16  ;  Let  his  heart  be  changed  from 
man's,  and  let  a  beast's  heart  be  given  unto  him ;  and  let 
seven  times  pass  over  him.  17.  This  matter  is  by  the  de- 
cree of  the  watchers,  and  the  demand  by  the  word  of  the 
holy  ones  :  to  the  intent  that  the  living  may  know  that  the 
Most  High  ruleth  in  the  kingdom  of  men,  and  giveth  it  to 
whomsoever  he  will,  and  setteth  up  over  it  the  basest  of  men. 
18.  This  dream  I  king  Nebuchadnezzar  have  seen.  Now 
thou,  0  Belteshazzar,  declare  the  interpretation  thereof,  for- 
asmuch as  all  the  wise  men  of  my  kingdom  are  not  able  to 
make  known  unto  me  the  interpretation  :  but  thou  art  able  ; 
for  the  spirit  of  the  holy  gods  is  in  thee. 

In  the   events   here   narrated,   several   striking 
points  may  be  noticed. 

1.  Nebuchadnezzar   was   at   rest   in  his    house. 
He  had  accomplished  successfully  all  his  enterprises. 
He   had  subdued   Syria,  Phoenicia,  Judea,  Egypt, 
and  Arabia.     It  was  probably  these  great  conquests 
that  puffed   him  up,  and  betrayed  him  into  such 
vanity  and  self-confidence.      And   this  very  time, 
when  he  felt  most  at  rest  and  secure,  when  it  was 
most  unlikely  that  he  would  allow  a  thought  to 
disturb  his  self-complacent  tranquility, — this  very 
time  God  takes  to  trouble  him  with  fears  and  fore- 
bodings. 

2.  The  means   by  which   God  did   this.     What 
could  strike  with  fear  the  heart  of  such  a  monarch 
as  Nebuchadnezzar  ?     He  had  been  a  warrior  from 
his  youth.     With  the  perils  of  battle,  and  the  ter- 
rors of  slaughter  and  carnage,  he  had  often  stood 


CHAPTER  IV,    VERSES  4-18. 


face  to  face,  and  his  countenance  had  not  blanched 
nor  his  nerves  trembled.  And  what  should  make 
him  afraid  now  ?  for  no  foe  threatened,  no  hostile 
cloud  was  visible.  As  the  most  unlikely  time  was 
taken  for  him  to  be  touched  with  fear,  so  the  most 
unlikely  means  were  selected  by  which  to  accom- 
plish it,  —  a  dream.  His  own  thoughts,  and  the  vis- 
ions of  his  own  head,  were  taken  to  teach  him  what 
nothing  else  could,  a  salutary  lesson  of  dependence 
and  humility.  He  who  had  terrified  others,  but 
whom  no  others  could  terrify,  was  made  a  terror  to 
himself. 

3.  A  still  greater  humiliation  than  that  narrated 
in  the  second  chapter,  was  brought  upon  the  magi- 
cians.    There  they  boasted  that  if  they  only  had 
the  dream  they  could  make  known  the  interpreta- 
tion.    Here  Nebuchadnezzar  remembers  distinctly 
the  dream,  but  meets  the  mortification  of  having 
his  magicians  ignominiously  fail  him  again.     They 
could  not  make  known  the  interpretation,  and  re- 
sort is  again  had  to  the  prophet  of  God. 

4.  The  remarkable   illustration  of   the  reign  of 
Nebuchadnezzar.     This  is  symbolized  by  a  tree  in 
the  midst  of  the  earth.     Babylon,  where  Nebuchad- 
nezzar reigned,  was  about  in  the  center  of  the  then 
known  world.     The  tree  reached  unto  heaven,  and 
the  leaves  thereof  were  fair.     Its  external  glory  and 
splendor  were  great  ;  but  this  was  not  all  of  it,  as 
is  the  case  with  too  many  kingdoms.     It  had  inter- 
nal excellences.     The  fruit  of  it  was  much,  and  it 
had  meat   for  all.     The   beasts   of    the   field   had 


112  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

shadow  under  it,  the  fowls  of  heaven  dwelt  in  the 
boughs  thereof,  and  all  flesh  was  fed  of  it.  What 
could  represent  more  plainly  and  forcibly  the  fact 
that  Nebuchadnezzar  ruled  his  kingdom  in  such  a 
way  as  to  afford  the  fullest  protection,  support,  and 
prosperity  to  all  his  subjects  ?  To  really  accomplish 
this,  is  the  perfection  of  earthly  governments  and 
the  highest  glory  of  any  kingdom. 

5.  The  mercy  that  God  mingles  with  his  judg- 
ments.    When  order  was  given  that  this  tree  should 
be  cut  down,  it  was  commanded  that  the  stump  of 
the  roots  should  be  left  in  the  earth,  and  protected 
with  a  band  of  iron  and  brass,  that  it  might  not  be 
wholly  given  to  decay,  but  that  the  source  of  future 
growth  and  greatness  might  be  left.     The  day  is 
coming  when  the  wicked  shall  be  cut  down,  and  no 
such  residue  of  hope  be  left  them.     No  mercy  will 
be  mingled  with  their  punishment.     They  shall  be 
destroyed  both  root  and  branch. 

6.  An  important  key  to  prophetic  interpretation. 
Verse  16.     "Let  seven  times  pass  over  him,"  said 
the  decree.     This  is  plain,  literal  narration  ;  hence 
the  time  is  here  to  be  understood  literally.     How 
long  a  period  is  denoted  ?     This  may  be  determined 
by  ascertaining  how  long  Nebuchadnezzar,  in  ful- 
fillment of  this  prediction,  was  driven  out  to  have 
his  dwelling  with  the  beasts  of  the  field ;  and  this, 
Josephus  informs  us,  was  seven  years.     A  "  time/' 
then,  denotes   one  year.     When   used  in  symbolic 
prophecy,  it  would   of   course  denote  symbolic  or 
prophetic   time.     A  "time"  would  then   denote  a 


CHAPTER  IV,   VERSES  19-27. 


113 


prophetic  year,  or,  each  day  standing  for   a  year, 
three  hundred  and  sixty  literal  years. 

7.  The  interest  that  the  holy  ones,  or  the  angels, 
take  in  human  affairs.     They  are  represented  as  de- 
manding this  dealing  with  Nebuchadnezzar.     They 
see,  as  mortals  never  can  see,  how  unseemly  a  thing 
is  pride  in  the  human  heart.     And  they  approve  of, 
and  sympathize  with,  the  decrees  and  providences  of 
God,  with  which  he  works  for  the  correction  of  these 
evils.     Man  must  know  that  he  is  not  the  architect 
of  his  own  fortune,  but  there  is  One  who  ruleth  in 
the   kingdom    of    men,   on   whom    his   dependence 
should  be  humbly  placed.     A  man  may  be  a  success- 
ful monarch ;  but  he  should  not  pride  himself  upon 
that ;  for,  unless  the  Lord  had  set  him  up,  he  would 
have  been  the  basest  of  men. 

8.  Nebuchadnezzar  acknowledges  the  supremacy 
of  the  true  God  over  the  heathen  oracles.     He  ap- 
peals to  Daniel   to  solve   the  mystery.     Thou   art 
able,  he  says,  for  the  spirit  of  the  holy  gods  is   in 
thee.     The  Septuagint  has  the  singular,  the  Spirit  of 
the  holy  God. 

VERSE  19.  Then  Daniel,  whose  name  was  Belteshazzar, 
was  astonied  for  one  hour,  and  his  thoughts  troubled  him. 
The  king  spake,  and  said,  Belteshazzar,  let  not  the  dream,  or 
the  interpretation  thereof,  trouble  thee.  Belteshazzar  an- 
swered and  said,  My  lord,  the  dream  be  to  them  that  hate 
thee,  and  the  interpretation  thereof  to  thine  enemies.  20. 
The  tree  that  thou  sawest,  which  grew,  and  was  strong, 
whose  height  reached  unto  the  heaven,  and  the  sight  thereof  to 
all  the  earth  ;  21 ;  Whose  leaves  were  fair,  and  the  fruit 
thereof  much,  and  in  it  was  meat  for  all ;  under  which  the 
8 


THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 


beasts  of  the  field  dwelt,  and  upon  whose  branches  the  fowls 
of  the  heaven  had  their  habitation  :  22  :  It  is  thou,  O  King, 
that  are  grown  and  become  strong;  for  thy  greatness  is 
grown,  and  reachcth  unto  heaven,  and  thy  dominion  to  the 
end  of  the  earth.  23.  And  whereas  the  king  saw  a  watcher 
and  an  holy  one  coming  down  from  Heaven,  and  saying, 
Hew  the  tree  down,  and  destroy  it  ;  yet  leave  the  stump  of 
the  roots  thereof  in  the  earth,  even  with  a  band  of  iron  and 
brass,  in  the  tender  grass  of  the  field  ;  and  let  it  be  wet  with 
the  dew  of  heaven,  and  let  his  portion  be  with  the  beasts  of 
the  field,  till  seven  times  pass  over  him  ;  24  ;  This  is  the  in- 
terpretation, O  King,  and  this  is  the  decree  of  the  Most 
High,  which  is  come  upon  my  lord  the  king  ;  25  ;  That  they 
shall  drive  thee  from  men,  and  thy  dwelling  shall  be  with 
the  beasts  of  tho  field,  and  they  shall  make  thee  to  eat  grass 
as  oxen,  and  the}7  shall  wet  thee  with  the  dew  of  heaven, 
and  seven  times  shall  pass  over  thee,  till  thou  know  that  the 
Most  High  ruleth  in  the  kingdom  of  men,  and  giveth  it  to 
whomsoever  he  will.  26.  And  whereas  they  commanded  to 
leave  the  stump  of  the  tree  roots  ;  thy  kingdom  shall  be 
sure  unto  thee,  after  that  thou  shalt  have  known  that  the 
Heavens  do  rule.  27.  Wherefore,  0  King,  let  my  counsel 
be  acceptable  unto  thee,  and  break  off  thy  sins  by  righteous- 
ness, and  thine  iniquities  by  shewing  mercy  to  the  poor  ;  if 
it  m:\y  be  a  lengthening  of  thy  tranquility. 

The  hesitation  of  Daniel,  who  sat  astonished  for 
one  hour,  did  not  arise  from  any  difficulty  he  had  in 
interpreting  the  dream,  but  from  its  being  so  delicate 
a  matter  to  make  it  known  to  the  king.  Daniel 
had  received  favor  from  the  king,  nothing  but  favor, 
so  far  as  we  know,  knd  it  came  hard  for  him  to  be 
the  bearer  of  so  terrible  a  threatening  of  judgment 
against  him  as  was  involved  in  this  dream.  He  was 
troubled  to  determine  in  what  way  he  could  best 


CHAPTER  IV,    VERSES  19-27. 


make  it  known.  It  seems  the  king  anticipated 
something  of  this  kind,  and  hence  assured  the 
prophet,  by  telling  him  not  to  let  the  dream  or  the 
interpretation  trouble  him  ;  as  if  he  had  said,  Do  not 
hesitate  to  make  it  known,  whatever  bearing  it  may 
have  upon  me.  Thus  assured,  Daniel  speaks;  and 
where  can  we  find  a  parallel  to  the  force  and  delicacy 
of  his  language  :  "  The  dream  be  to  them  that  hate 
thee,  and  the  interpretation  thereof  to  thine  enemies." 
A  calamity  is  set  forth  in  this  dream,  which  we 
would  might  come  upon  your  enemies  rather  than 
upon  you. 

Nebuchadnezzar  had  given  a  minute  statement  of 
his  dream  ;  and  as  soon  as  Daniel  informed  him  that 
the  dream  applied  to  himself,  it  was  evident  that  he 
had  pronounced  his  own  sentence.  The  interpreta- 
tion which  follows  is  so  plain  that  it  need  not  detain 
us.  The  threatened  judgments  were  conditional. 
They  were  to  teach  the  king  that  the  Heavens  do 
rule  ;  the  word  Heavens  here  being  put  for  God,  the 
Ruler  of  the  Heavens.  Hence  Daniel  takes  occasion 
to  give  the  king  counsel  in  view  of  the  threatened 
judgment.  But  he  does  not  denounce  him  with 
harshness  and  censor  iousness.  Blindness  and  per- 
suasion is  the  weapon  he  chooses  to  wield  :  "  Let  my 
counsel  be  acceptable  unto  thee."  So  the  apostle  be- 
seeches men  to  suffer  the  word  of  exhortation.  Heb. 
13':  22.  If  the  king  would  break  off  his  sins  by 
righteousness  and  his  iniquities  by  showing  mercy 
to  the  poor,  it  might  be  a  lengthening  of  his  tran- 
quility,  or,  as  the  margin  reads,  "An  healing  of  thine 


116  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

error."     That  is,  he  might  even   have  averted  the 
judgment  the  Lord  designed  to  bring  upon  him. 

VERSE  28.  All  this  came  upon  the  king  Nebuchadnezzar. 
29.  At  the  end  of  twelve  months  he  walked  in  the  palace  of 
the  kingdom  of  Babylon.  30.  The  king  spake,  and  said,  Is 
not  this  great  Babylon,  that  I  have  built  for  the  house  of  the 
kingdom  by  the  might  of  my  power,  and  for  the  honor  of 
my  majesty  1  31.  While  the  word  was  in  the  king's  mouth, 
there  fell  a  voice  from  Heaven,  saying,  0  king  Nebuchad- 
nezzar, to  thee  it  is  spoken  :  The  kingdom  is  departed  from 
thee.  32.  And  they  shall  drive  thee  from  men,  and  thy 
dwelling  shall  be  with  the  beasts  of  the  field ;  they  shall 
make  thee  to  eat  grass  as  the  oxen,  and  seven  times  shall 
pass  over  thee,  until  thou  know  that  the  Most  High  ruleth 
in  the  kingdom  of  men,  and  giveth  it  to  whomsoever  he  will. 
33.  The  same  hour  was  the  thing  fulfilled  upon  Nebuchad- 
nezzar; and  he  was  driven  from  men,  and  did  eat  grass  as 
oxen,  and  his  body  Avas  wet  with  the  dew  of  heaven,  till  his 
hairs  were  grown  like  eagles'  feathers,  and  his  nails  like 
birds'  claws. 

Nebuchadnezzar  failed  to  profit  by  the  warning 
he  had  received.  Yet  God  bore  with  him  twelve 
months  before  the  blow  fell.  All  the  while  he  was 
cherishing  pride  in  his  heart.  At  length  it  reached 
a  climax  beyond  which  God  could  not  suffer  it  to 
pass.  The  king  walked  in  the  palace,  and  as  he 
looked  forth  upon  the  wonders  of  that  wonder  of  the 
world,  great  Babylon,  the  beauty  of  kingdoms,  he 
forgot  the  Source  of  all  his  strength  and  greatness, 
and  exclaimed,  "Is  not  this  great  Babylon,  that  / 
have  built  ?"  The  time  had  come  for  his  humilia- 
tion. A  voice  from  Heaven  again  announces  the 
threatened  judgment,  and  divine  Providence  proceeds 


CHAPTER  IV,    VERSES  34-37.  H7 

immediately  to  execute  it.  His  reason  departed.  No 
longer  the  pomp  and  glory  of  his  great  city  charmed 
him,  when  God  with  a  touch  of  his  finger  took  away 
his  capability  to  appreciate  and  enjoy  it.  He  for- 
sook the  dwellings  of  men,  and  sought  a  home  and 
companionship  among  the  beasts  of  the  forest. 

VERSE  34.  And  at  the  end  of  the  days  I  Nebuchadnezzar 
lifted  up  mine  eyes  unto  heaven,  and  mine  understanding 
returned  unto  me,  and  I  blessed  the  Most  High,  and  I 
praised  and  honored  him  that  liveth  forever,  whose  dominion 
is  an  everlasting  dominion,  and  his  kingdom  is  from  gener- 
ation to  generation.  35.  And  all  the  inhabitants  of  the 
earth  are  reputed  as  nothing  ;  and  he  doeth  according  to  his 
will  in  the  army  of  Heaven,  and  among  the  inhabitants  of 
the  earth ;  and  none  can  stay  his  hand,  or  say  unto  him, 
What  doest  thou?  36.  At  the  same  time  my  reason  re- 
turned unto  me ;  and  for  the  glory  of  my  kingdom,  mine 
honor  and  brightness  returned  unto  me ,  and  my  counselors 
and  my  lords  sought  unto  me  ;  and  I  was  established  in  my 
kingdom,  and  excellent  majesty  was  added  unto  me.  37. 
Now  I  Nebuchadnezzar  praise  and  extol  and  honor  the  King 
of  Heaven,  all  whose  works  are  truth,  and  his  ways  judg- 
ment ;  and  those  that  walk  in  pride  he  is  able  to  abase. 

At  the  end  of  the  seven  years,  God  removed  his 
afflicting  hand,  and  the  reason  and  understanding  of 
the  king  returned  to  him  again.  His  first  act  then 
was  to  bless  the  Most  High.  On  this,  Matthew  Henry 
has  the  following  appropriate  remark :  "  Those  may 
justly  be  reckoned  void  of  understanding  that  do  not 
bless  and  praise  God ;  nor  do  men  ever  rightly  use 
their  reason  till  they  begin  to  be  religious,  nor  li ve  as 
men  till  they  live  to  the  glory  of  God.  As  reason  is 
the  substratum  or  subject  of  religion  (so  that  creat- 


118  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

ures  which  have  no  reason  are  not  capable  of  relig- 
ion), so  religion  is  the  crown  and  glory  of  reason, 
and  we  have  our  reason  hi  vain,  and  shall  one  day 
wish  we  had  never  had  it,  if  we  do  not  glorify  God 
with  it." 

His  honor  and  brightness  returned  to  him  again, 
his  counselors  sought  unto  him,  and  he  was  once 
more  established  in  the  kingdom.  The  promise  was, 
verse  26,  that  his  kingdom  should  be  sure  unto  him. 
During  his  insanity,  his  son,  Evil-merodach,  is  said 
to  have  reigned,  as  regent,  in  his  stead.  Daniel's  in- 
terpretation of  the  dream  was  doubtless  well  under- 
stood throughout  the  palace,  and  was  probably  more 
or  less  a  subject  of  conversation.  Hence  the  return 
of  Nebuchadnezzar  to  his  kingdom  must  have  been 
anticipated,  and  looked  for  with  interest.  Why  he 
was  permitted  to  make  his  home  in  the  open  field  in 
so  forlorn  a  condition,  instead  of  being  comfortably 
cared  for  by  the  attendants  of  the  palace,  we  are  not 
informed.  It  is  supposed  that  he  dextrously  escaped 
from  the  palace,  and  eluded  all  search. 

The  affliction  had  its  designed  effect.  The  lesson 
of  humility  was  learned.  He  did  not  forget  it  with 
returning  prosperity.  He  was  ready  to  acknowl- 
edge that  the  Most  High  ruled  in  the  kingdom  of 
men  and  gave  it  to  whomsoever  he  would ;  and  he 
sent  forth  through  all  his  realm  a  royal  proclamation, 
containing  an  acknowledgment  of  his  pride,  and  a 
manifesto  of  praise  and  adoration  to  the  King  of 
Heaven. 

This  is  the  last  scripture  record  we  have  of  Nebu- 


CHAPTER  IV,   VERSES  S4-S7. 


chadnezzar.  This  decree  is  dated  in  the  authorized 
version,  says  Dr.  Clarke,  563  B.  c.,  one  year  before 
Nebuchadnezzar's  death;  though  some  place  the  date 
of  this  decree  seventeen  years  before  his  death.  Be 
this  as  it  may,  it  is  not  probable  that  he  again  re- 
lapsed into  idolatry,  but  died  in  the  faith  of  the  God 
of  Israel. 

Thus  closed  the  life  of  this  remarkable  man.  With 
all  the  temptations  incident  to  his  exalted  position 
as  king,  may  we  not  suppose  that  God  saw  in  him 
honesty  of  heart,  integrity,  and  purity  of  purpose, 
which  he  could  use  to  the  glory  of  his  name  ?  Hence 
his  wonderful  dealings  with  him,  all  of  which  seem 
to  have  been  designed  to  wean  him  from  his  false 
religion,  and  attach  him  to  the  service  of  the  true 
God.  We  have,  first,  his  dream  of  the  great  image, 
containing  such  a  valuable  lesson  for  the  people  of 
all  coming  generations.  Secondly,  his  experience 
with  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abed-nego,  in  refer- 
ence to  his  golden  image,  wherein  he  was  again  led 
to  an  acknowledgment  of  the  supremacy  of  the  true 
God.  And  lastly,  we  have  the  wonderful  incidents 
recorded  in  this  chapter,  showing  the  still  unceasing 
efforts  of  the  Lord  to  bring  him  to  a  full  acknowl- 
edgment of  himself.  And  may  we  not  hope  that 
the  most  illustrious  king  of  the  first  prophetic  king- 
dom, the  head  of  gold,  may  at  last  have  part  in  that 
kingdom,  before  which  all  earthly  kingdoms  shall  be- 
come as  the  chaff,  the  glory  of  which  shall  never  dim, 
and  its  dominion  have  no  end  ? 


V. 


BELSHAZZAR'S    FEAST. 

VERSE  1.  Belshazzar  the  king  made  a  great  feast  to  a 
thousand  of  his  lords,  and  drank  wine  before  the  thousand. 

The  chief  feature  of  interest  pertaining  to  this 
chapter  is  the  fact  that  it  describes  the  closing  scene 
of  the  Babylonish  empire,  the  transition  from  the 
gold  to  the  silver  of  the  great  image,  and  from  the 
lion  to  the  bear  of  Daniel's  vision  in  chapter  7. 
This  feast  is  supposed  by  some  to  have  been  a 
stated  annual  festival,  the  anniversary  of  the  con- 
quest of  Judea.  On  this  account,  Cyrus,  who  was 
then  besieging  Babylon,  learned  of  its  approach, 
and  knew  when  to  lay  his  plans  for  the  overthrow 
of  the  city.  Our  translation  reads  that  Belshazzar, 
having  invited  a  thousand  of  his  lords,  drank  before 
the  thousand.  Some  translate  it,  "  drank  against 
the  thousand,"  showing  him,  with  all  his  other  vile 
and  contemptible  propensities,  to  have  been  an  enor- 
mous drinker. 

VERSE  2.  Belshazzar,  while  he  tasted  the  wine,  com- 
manded to  bring  the  golden  and  silver  vessels  which  his 
father  Nebuchadnezzar  had  taken  out  of  the  temple  which 
was  in  Jerusalem  ;  that  the  king,  and  his  princes,  his  wives, 
and  his  concubines,  might  drink  therein.  3.  Then  they 
brought  the  golden  vessels  that  were  taken  out  of  the 
(120) 


CHAPTER  F,   VERSES  1-9.  121 

temple  of  the  house  of  God  which  was  at  Jerusalem  ;  and 
the  king,  and  his  princes,  his  wives,  and  his  concubines, 
drank  in  them.  4.  They  drank  wine,  and  praised  the  gods 
of  gold,  and  of  silver,  of  brass,  of  iron,  of  wood,  and  of 
stone. 

That  this  festival  had  some  reference  to  former 
victories  over  the  Jews,  may  be  inferred  from  the 
fact  that  the  king,  when  he  began  to  be  heated  with 
his  wine,  called  for  the  sacred  vessels  which  had 
been  taken  from  Jerusalem.  It  would  be  most 
likely  that,  lost  to  a  sense  of  all  sacred  things,  he 
would  use  them  to  celebrate  the  victory  by  which 
they  were  obtained.  No  other  king,  probably,  had 
carried  his  impiety  to  such  a  height  as  this.  And 
while  they  drank  wine  from  vessels  dedicated  to 
the  true  God,  they  praised  their  gods  of  gold,  silver, 
brass,  iron,  wood,  and  stone.  Perhaps,  as  noticed  on 
chap.  3 . 29,  they  celebrated  the  superior  power  of 
their  gods  over  the  God  of  the  Jews,  from  whose 
vessels  they  now  drank  to  their  heathen  deities. 

VERSE  5.  In  the  same  hour  came  forth  fingers  of  a  man's 
hand,  and  wrote  over  against  the  candlestick  upon  the  plas- 
ter of  the  wall  of  the  king's  palace  ;  and  the  king  saw  the 
part  of  the  hand  that  wrote.  6.  Then  the  king's  countenance 
was  changed,  and  his  thoughts  troubled  him,  so  that  the 
joints  of  his  loins  were  loosed,  and  his  knees  smote  one 
against  another.  7.  The  king  cried  aloud  to  bring  in  the 
astrologers,  the  Chaldeans,  and  the  soothsayers.  And  the 
king  spake,  and  said  to  the  wise  men  of  Babylon,  Whosoever 
shall  read  this  writing,  and  show  me  the  interpretation  there- 
of, shall  be  clothed  with  scarlet,  and  have  a  chain  of  gold 
about  his  neck,  and  shall  be  the  third  ruler  in  the  kingdom. 
8.  Then  came  in  all  the  king's  wise  men  :  but  they  could  not 


122  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

read  the  writing,  nor  make  known  to  the  king  the  interpre- 
tation thereof.  9.  Then  was  king  Belshazzar  greatly 
troubled,  and  his  countenance  was  changed  in  him,  and  his 
lords  were  astonied. 

No  flashes  of  supernatural  light,  no  deafening 
peals  of  thunder  announced  the  interference  of 
God  in  their  impious  revelries.  A  hand  silently 
appeared  tracing  mystic  characters  upon  the  wall. 
It  wrote  over  against  the  candlestick.  In  the  light 
of  their  own  lamp  they  saw  it.  Terror  seized  upon 
the  king  ;  for  his  conscience  accused  him.  Although 
he  could  not  read  the  writing,  he  knew  it  was  no 
message  of  peace  and  blessing  that  was  traced  in 
glittering  characters  upon  his  palace  wall.  And 
the  description  the  prophet  gives  of  the  effects  of 
the  king's  fear  cannot  be  excelled  in  any  particular. 
The  king's  countenance  was  changed,  his  heart  failed 
him,  pain  seized  him,  and  so  violent  was  his  trem- 
bling, that  his  knees  smote  one  against  another. 
He  forgot  his  boasting  and  revelry ;  he  forgot  his 
dignity  ;  and  he  cried  aloud  for  his  astrologers  and 
soothsayers  to  solve  the  meaning  of  the  terrible  ap- 
parition. 

VERSE  10.  Now  the  queen,  by  reason  of  the  words  of  the 
king  and  his  lords,  came  into  the  banquet  house  :  and  the 
queen  spake  and  said,  O  king,  live  forever  :  let  not  thy 
thoughts  trouble  thee,  nor  let  thy  countenance  be  changed. 
11.  There  is  a  man  in  thy  kingdom,  in  whom  is  the  spirit  of 
the  holy  gods ;  and  in  the  days  of  thy  father  light  and  un- 
derstanding and  wisdom,  like  the  wisdom  of  the  gods,  was 
found  in  him ;  whom  the  king  Nebuchadnezzar  thy  father, 
the  king,  I  say,  thy  father,  made  master  of  the  magicians, 


CHAPTER  V,   VERSES  10-16.  123 

astrologers,  Chaldeans,  and  soothsayers  ;  12  ;  Forasmuch  as 
an  excellent  spirit,  and  knowledge,  and  understanding,  in- 
terpreting of  dreams,  and  showing  of  hard  sentences,  and 
dissolving  of  doubts,  were  found  in  the  same  Daniel,  whom 
the  king  named  Belteshazzar  :  now  let  Daniel  be  called,  and 
he  will  show  the  interpretation.  13.  Then  was  Daniel 
brought  in  before  the  king.  And  the  king  spake  and  said 
unto  Daniel,  Art  thou  that  Daniel,  which  art  of  the  children 
of  the  captivity  of  Judah,  whom  the  king  my  father  brought 
out  of  Jewry?  14.  I  have  even  heard  of  thee,  that  the 
spirit  of  the  gods  is  in  thee,  and  that  light  and  understand- 
ing and  excellent  wisdom  is  found  in  thee.  15.  And  now 
the  wise  men,  the  astrologers,  have  been  brought  in  before 
me,  that  they  should  read  this  writing,  and  make  known  unto 
me  the  interpretation  thereof  :  but  they  could  not  show  the 
interpretation  of  the  thing.  16.  And  I  have  heard  of  thee, 
that  thou  canst  make  interpretations,  and  dissolve  doubts  : 
now  if  thou  canst  read  the  writing,  and  make  known  to  me 
the  interpretation  thereof,  thou  shalt  be  clothed  with  scar- 
let, and  have  a  chain  of  gold  about  thy  neck,  and  shalt 
be  the  third  ruler  in  the  kingdom. 

It  seems  that  the  knowledge  of  Daniel  had  been 
lost  from  the  court  and  palace.  As  in  the  case  of 
the  Israelites  in  Egypt,  a  king  rose  who  knew  not 
Joseph,  so  in  this  case,  Nebuchadnezzar  was  suc- 
ceeded by  kings  that  knew  not  Daniel.  The  queen 
who  came  in  and  made  known  to  the  king  that 
there  was  such  a  person  in  his  kingdom,  is  supposed 
to  have  been  the  widow  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  in 
whose  memory  the  wonderful  part  Daniel  had  acted 
in  his  reign,  was  still  fresh  and  vivid.  Nebuchad- 
nezzar is  here  called  Belshazzar's  father  according 
to  the  usage  common  in  those  times  of  calling  any 
paternal  ancestor,  father,  and  any  male  descendant, 


124  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

son.  Nebuchadnezzar  was  really  his  grandfather. 
Daniel  was  brought  in,  and  the  king  inquired  if  he 
was  the  Daniel  who  was  of  the  children  of  the  cap- 
tivity of  Judah.  This  captivity  was  the  great  sub- 
ject of  that  occasion ;  and  thus  acute  was  the  ven- 
geance God  was  about  to  take  on  the  king ;  that  is, 
that  while  they  were  celebrating  their  victory  over 
the  Jews,  and  drinking  from  the  sacred  vessels  then 
taken,  God  so  orders  that  at  that  moment  they  be- 
come paralyzed  with  terror,  and  one  of  those  very 
captives  has  to  be  called  in  to  pronounce  the  mer- 
ited doom  upon  their  wicked  course. 

VERSE  17.  Then  Daniel  answered  and  said  before  the 
king,  Let  thy  gifts  be  to  thyself,  and  give  thy  rewards  to 
another  ;  yet  I  will  read  the  writing  unto  the  king,  and  make 
known  to  him  the  interpretation.  18.  O  thou  king,  the 
most  high  God  gave  Nebuchadnezzar  thy  father  a  kingdom, 
and  majesty,  and  glory,  and  honor.  19.  And  for  the  maj- 
esty that  he  gave  him,  all  people,  nations,  and  languages, 
trembled  and  feared  before  him :  whom  he  would  he  slew ; 
and  whom  he  would  he  kept  alive  ;  and  whom  he  would  he 
set  up  ;  and  whom  he  would  he  put  down.  20.  But  when 
his  heart  was  lifted  up,  and  his  mind  hardened  in  pride,  he 
was  deposed  from  his  kingly  throne,  and  they  took  his  glory 
from  him.  21.  And  he  was  driven  from  the  sons  of  men  ; 
and  his  heart  was  made  like  the  beasts,  and  his  dwelling  was 
with  the  wild  asses  :  they  fed  him  with  grass  like  oxen,  and  his 
body  was  wet  with  the  dew  of  heaven  ;  till  he  knew  that  the 
most  high  God  ruled  in  the  kingdom  of  men,  and  that  he  ap- 
pointeth  over  it  whomsoever  he  will.  22.  And  thou  his  son, 
O  Belshazzar,  hast  not  humbled  thine  heart,  though  thou 
knewest  all  this  ;  23  ;  But  hast  lifted  up  thyself  against  the 
Lord  of  Heaven ;  and  they  have  brought  the  vessels  of  his 
house  before  thee,  and  thou,  and  thy  lords,  thy  wives,  and 


CHAPTER  F,   VERSES  17-24.  125 

thy  concubines,  have  drunk  wine  in  them  ;  and  thou  hast 
praised  the  gods  of  silver,  and  gold,  of  brass,  iron,  wood, 
and  stone,  which  see  not,  nor  hear,  nor  know  :  and  the  God 
in  whose  hand  thy  breath  is,  and  whose  are  all  thy  ways, 
hast  thou  not  glorified.  24.  Then  was  the  part  of  the  hand 
sent  from  him  ;  and  this  writing  was  written. 

Daniel  first  of  all  disclaims  the  idea  of  being  in- 
fluenced by  such  motives  as  governed  the  soothsay- 
ers and  astrologers.  He  says,  Let  thy  rewards  be 
to  another.  He  wishes  it  distinctly  understood 
that  he  does  not  enter  upon  the  work  of  interpret- 
ing this  matter  on  account  of  the  offer  of  gifts  and 
rewards.  He  then  rehearses  the  experience  of  his 
grandfather,  Nebuchadnezzar,  as  set  forth  in  the 
preceding  chapter.  He  told  the  king  that  though 
he  knew  all  this,  yet  he  had  not  humbled  his  heart, 
but  had  lifted  up  himself  against  the  God  of 
Heaven,  and  even  carried  his  impiety  so  far  as  to 
profane  his  sacred  vessels,  praising  the  senseless  gods 
of  men's  making,  and  failing  to  glorify  the  God  in 
whose  hands  his  breath  was.  For  this  reason  he 
tells  him  it  is,  that  the  hand  has  been  sent  forth 
from  that  God  whom  he  had  daringly  and  insult- 
ingly challenged,  to  trace  those  characters  of  fear- 
ful though  hidden  import.  He  then  proceeds  to 
explain  the  writing. 

VERSE  25.  And  this  is  the  writing  that  was  written, 
MENE,  MENE,  TEKEL,  UPHARSIN.  26.  This  is  the  in- 
terpretation of  the  thing  :  MENE  ;  God  hath  numbered  thy 
kingdom,  and  finished  it.  27.  TEKEL  ;  Thou  art  weighed 
in  the  balances,  and  art  found  wanting.  28.  PERES  ;  Thy 
kingdom  is  divided,  and  given  to  the  Medes  and  Persians. 


126  THO  UGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 


29.  Then  commanded  Belshazzar,  and  they  clothed  Daniel 
with  scarlet,  and  put  a  chain  of  gold  about  his  neck,  and 
made  a  proclamation  concerning  him,  that  he  should  be  the 
third  ruler  in  the  kingdom. 

It  is  not  known  in  what  language  this  inscrip- 
tion was  written.  If  it  had  been  in  Chaldean,  the 
king's  wise  men  would  have  been  able  to  read  it. 
Dr.  Clarke  conjectures  that  it  was  written  in  the 
Samaritan,  which  is  the  true  Hebrew,  and  with 
which  Daniel  was  familiar,  as  it  was  the  character 
used  by  the  Jews  previous  to  the  Babylonish  cap- 
tivity. It  seems  to  us  more  likely  that  it  was  a 
character  strange  to  all  the  parties,  and  that  it  was 
specially  made  known  to  Daniel  by  the  Spirit  of  the 
Lord. 

In  this  inscription  each  word  stands  for  a  short 
sentence.  Mene,  numbered ;  Tekel,  weighed ;  Uphar- 
sin,  from  the  root  peres,  divided.  God,  whom  you 
have  defied,  has  your  kingdom  in  his  own  hands, 
and  has  numbered  its  days  and  finished  its  course, 
just  at  the  time  you  thought  it  at  the  height  of  its 
prosperity.  You,  who  have  lifted  up  your  heart  in 
pride,  as  the  great  one  of  the  earth,  are  weighed, 
and  found  lighter  than  vanity.  Your  kingdom, 
which  you  dreamed  was  to  stand  forever,  is  di- 
vided between  the  foes  already  waiting  at  your 
gates.  Notwithstanding  this  terrible  denunciation, 
Belshazzar  did  not  forget  his  promise,  but  had  Dan- 
iel at  once  invested  with  the  scarlet  robe  and  chain 
of  gold,  and  proclaimed  him  third  ruler  in  the  king- 
dom. This  Daniel  accepted,  probably  with  a  view 


CHAPTER  F,    VE_RSES  25-29.  127 

to  be  better  prepared  to  look  after  the  interests  of 
his  people  during  the  transition  to  the  succeeding 
kingdom. 

VERSE  30.  In  that  night  was  Belshazzar  the  king  of  the 
Chaldeans  slain.  31.  And  Darius  the  Median  took  the 
kingdom,  being  about  threescore  and  two  years  old. 

The  scene  here  so  briefly  mentioned  is  described 
in  remarks  on  verse  39  of  chapter  2.  While  Bel- 
shazzar was  indulging  in  his  presumptuous  revelry, 
while  the  angel's  hand  was  tracing  the  doom  of  the 
empire  on  the  walls  of  the  palace,  while  Daniel  was 
making  known  the  fearful  import  of  the  heavenly 
writing,  the  Persian  soldiery,  through  the  emptied 
channel  of  the  Euphrates,  had  made  their  way  into 
the  heart  of  the  city,  and  were  speeding  forward 
with  drawn  swords  to  the  palace  of  the  king. 
Scarcely  can  it  be  said  that  they  surprised  him,  for 
God  had  just  forewarned  him  of  his  doom.  But 
they  found  him  and  slew  him ;  and  in  the  person  of 
this,  its  last  and  most  unworthy  king,  the  empire  of 
Babylon  ceased  to  be. 

As  a  fitting  conclusion  to  this  chapter,  we  give 
the  following  beautiful  poetic  description  of  Bel- 
shazzar's  feast  from  the  pen  of  Edwin  Arnold,  au- 
thor of  "  The  Light  of  Asia."  It  was  written  in 
1852,  and  obtained  the  Newdegate  prize  for  an 
English  poem  on  the  "  Feast  of  Belshazzar,"  at  Uni- 
versity College,  Oxford : — 

Not  by  one  portal,  or  one  path  alone 
God's  holy  messages  to  men  are  known  ; 
Waiting  the  glances  of  his  awful  eyes, 
Silver-winged  seraphs  do  him  embassies  ; 


128  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

And  stars,  interpreting  his  high  behest, 

Guide  the  lone  feet  and  glad  the  falling  breast ; 

The  rolling  thunder  and  the  raging  sea 

Speak  the  stern  purpose  of  the  Deity, 

And  storms  beneath  and  rainbow  hues  above 

Herald  his  anger  or  proclaim  his  love  ; 

The  still  small  voices  of  the  summer  day, 

The  red  sirocco,  and  the  breath  of  May, 

The  lingering  harmony  in  ocean  shells, 

The  fairy  music  of  the  meadow  bells, 

Earth  and  void  air,  water  and  wasting  flame, 

Have  words  to  whisper,  tongues  to  tell,  his  name. 

Once,  with  no  cloak  of  careful  mystery, 

Himself  was  herald  of  his  own  decree  ; 

The  hand  that  edicts  on  the  marble  drew, 

Graved  the  stern  sentence  of  their  scorner  too. 

Listen  and  learn  !     Tyrants  have  heard  the  tale, 

And  turned  from  hearing  terror-struck  and  pale ; 

Spiritless  captives,  sinking  with  the  chain, 

Have  read  this  page  and  taken  heart  again. 

From  sunlight  unto  starlight,  trumpets  told 
Her  king's  command  in  Babylon  the  old  ; 
From  sunlight  unto  starlight,  west  and  east, 
A  thousand  satraps  girt  them  for  the  feast, 
And  reined  their  chargers  to  the  palace  hall 
Where  king  Belshazzar  held  high  festival : 
A  pleasant  palace  under  pleasant  skies, 
With  cloistered  courts  and  gilded  galleries, 
And  gay  kiosk  and  painted  balustrade, 
For  winter  terraces  and  summer  shade  ; 
By  court  and  terrace,  minaret  and  dome, 
Euphrates,  rushing  from  his  mountain  home, 
Rested  his  rage,  and  curbed  his  crested  pride 
To  belt  that  palace  with  his  bluest  tide  ; 
Broad-fronted  bulls  with  chiseled  feathers  barred, 
In  silent  vigil  keeping  watch  and  ward, 


CHAPTER   F,    VERSE  SO. 


129 


Giants  of  granite  wrought  by  cunning  hand, 
Guard  in  the  gate  and  frown  upon  the  land  : 
Not  summer's  glow  nor  yellow  autumn's  glare 
Pierced  the  broad  tamarisks  that  blossomed  there  ; 
The  moonbeams  darting  through  their  leafy  screen 
Lost  half  their  silver  in  the  softened  green, 
And  fell  with  lessened  luster,  broken  light, 
Tracing  quaint  arabesque  of  dark  and  white ; 
Or  dimly  tinting  on  the  graven  stones 
The  pictured  annals  of  Chaldean  thrones. 
There,  from  the  rising  to  the  setting  day, 
Birds  of  bright  feather  sang  the  light  away, 
And  fountain  waters  on  the  palace  floor 
Made  even  answer  to  the  river's  roar, 
Rising  in  silver  from  the  crystal  well, 
And  breaking  into  spangles  as  they  fell ; 
Though  now  ye  heard  them  not — for  far  along 
Rang  the  broad  chorus  of  the  banquet  song, 
And  sounds  as  gentle,  echoes  soft  as  these, 
Died  out  of  hearing  from  the  revelries. 

High  on  a  throne  of  ivory  and  gold, 
From  crown  to  footstool  clad  in  purple  fold, 
Lord  of  the  east  from  sea  to  distant  sea, 
The  king  Belshazzar  feasteth  royally — 
And  not  that  dreamer  in  the  desert  cave 
Peopled  his  paradise  with  pomp  as  brave  : 
Vessels  of  silver,  cups  of  crusted  gold, 
Blush  with  a  brighter  red  than  all  they  hold  ; 
Pendulous  lamps  like  planets  of  the  night 
Flung  on  the  diadems  a  fragrant  light, 
Or  slowly  swinging  in  the  midnight  sky 
Gilded  the  ripples  as  they  glided  by  : — 
And  sweet  and  sweeter  rose  the  cittern's  ring, 
Soft  as  the  beating  of  a  seraph's  wing, 
And  swift  and  swifter  in  the  measured  dance 
The  tresses  gather  and  the  sandals  glance, 
9 


1 30  THO  UGH TS  ON  DANIEL. 

And  bright  and  brighter  at  the  festal  board 

The  flagons  bubble  and  the  wines  are  poured ; 

No  lack  of  goodly  company  was  there, 

No  lack  of  laughing  eyes  to  light  the  cheer ; 

From  Dara  trooped  they,  from  Daremma's  grove 

"  The  suns  of  battle  and  the  moons  of  love  ;  "  * 

From  where  Arsissa's  silver  waters  sleep 

To  Imla's  marshes  and  the  inland  deep, 

From  pleasant  Calah  and  from  Cittacene 

The  horseman's  captain  and  the  harem's  queen. 

It  seemed  no  summer-cloud  of  passing  woe    ' 
Could  fling  its  shadow  on  so  fair  a  show  ; 
It  seemed  the  gallant  forms  that  feasted  there 
Were  all  too  grand  for  woe,  too  great  for  care  ; — 
Whence  came  the  anxious  eye,  the  altered  tone, 
The  dull  presentiment  no  heart  would  own, 
That  ever  changed  the  smiling  to  a  sigh 
Sudden  as  sea-bird  flashing  from  the  sky  : 
It  is  not  that  they  know  the  spoiler  waits 
Harnessed  for  battle  at  the  brazen  gates, 
It  is  not  that  they  hear  the  watchman's  call 
Mark  the  slow  minutes  on  the  leaguered  wall : 
The  clash  of  quivers  and  the  ring  of  spears 
Make  pleasant  music  in  a  soldier's  ears, 
And  not  a  scabbard  hideth  sword  to-night 
That  hath  not  glimmered  in  the  front  of  fight. 
May  not  the  blood  in  every  beating  vein 
Have  quick  foreknowledge  of  the  coming  pain, 
Even  as  the  prisoned  silver, t  dead  and  dumb, 
Shrinks  at  cold  winter's  footfall  ere  he  come  1 

The  king  hath  felt  it,  and  the  heart's  unrest 
Heaved  the  broad  purple  of  his  belted  breast. 
Sudden  he  speaks, — "  What !  doth  the  beaded  juice 
Savor  like  hyssop  that  ye  scorn  its  use  ? 

*  Hafiz,  the  Persian,  Anacreon. 

t  The  quicksilver  of  the  tube  of  the  thermometer. 


CHAPTER   F,   VEESE  30. 


Wear  ye  so  pitiful  and  sad  a  soul, 

That  tramp  of  foemen  scares  ye  from  the  bowl  1 

Think  ye  the  gods  on  yonder  starry  floor 

Tremble  for  terror  when  the  thunders  roar  ? 

Are  we  not  gods  1  have  we  not  fought  with  God  1 

And  shall  we  shiver  at  a  robber's  nod  ? 

No  ;  let  them  batter  till  the  brazen  bars 

Ring  merry  mocking  of  their  idle  wars. 

Their  fall  is  fated  for  to-morrow's  sun  ; 

The  lion  rouses  when  his  feast  is  done, 

Crown  me  a  cup  —  and  fill  the  bowls  we  brought 

From  Judah's  temple  when  the  fight  was  fought  ; 

Drink,  till  the  merry  madness  fill  the  soul, 

To  Salem's  conqueror  in  Salem's  bowl  ; 

Each  from  the  goblet  of  a  god  shall  sip, 

And  Judah's  gold  tread  heavy  on  the  lip."  * 

The  last  loud  answer  dies  along  the  line, 

The  last  light  bubble  bursts  upon  the  wine, 

His  eager  lips  are  on  the  jeweled  brink,  — 

Hath  the  cup  poison  that  he  doubts  to  drink  ? 

Is  there  a  spell  upon  the  sparkling  gold, 

That  so  his  fevered  fingers  quit  their  hold  ? 

Whom  sees  he  where  he  gazes  ?  what  is  there 

Freezing  his  vision  into  fearful  stare  ? 

Follow  his  lifted  arm  and  lighted  eye 

And  watch  with  them  the  wondrous  mystery. 

There  cometh  forth  a  hand,  upon  the  stone, 
Graving  the  symbols  of  a  speech  unknown. 
Fingers  like  mortal  fingers,  leaving  there 
The  blank  wall  flashing  characters  of  fear  ; 
And  still  it  glideth  silently  and  slow, 
And  still  beneath  the  spectral  letters  grow  ; 
Now  the  scroll  endeth  ;  now  the  seal  is  set  ; 

"  He  never  drinks 
But  Timon's  silver  treads  upon  his  lips." 

SHAK.  Tit.  And. 


132  THO  UG  FfTS  ON  DANIEL. 

The  hand  is  gone  ;  the  record  tarries  yet. 
As  one  who  waits  the  warrant  of  his  death, 
With  pale  lips  parted  and  with  bridled  breath, 
They  watch  the  sign  and  dare  not  turn  to  seek 
Their  fear  reflected  in  their  fellows'  cheek, 
But  stand  as  statues  where  the  life  is  none, 
Half  the  jest  uttered,  half  the  laughter  done, 
Half  the  flask  empty,  half  the  flagon  poured  ; 
Each  where  the  phantom  found  him  at  the  board 
Struck  into  silence,  as  December's  arm 
Curbs  the  quick  ripples  into  crystal  calm. 

With  wand  of  ebony  and  sable  stole 
Chaldea's  wisest  scan  the  spectral  scroll. 
Strong  in  the  lessons  of  a  lying  art, 
Each  comes  to  gaze,  but  gazes  to  depart ; 
And  still  for  mystic  sign  and  muttered  spell 
The  graven  letters  guard  their  secret  well ; 
Gleam  they  for  warning,  glare  they  to  condemn : 
God  speaketh,  but  he  speaketh  not  for  them. 

Oh,  ever,  when  the  happy  laugh  is  dumb, 
All  the  joy  gone,  and  all  the  anguish  come  ; 
When  strong  adversity  and  subtle  pain 
Wring  the  sad  soul  and  rack  the  throbbing  brain  ; 
When  friends  onee  faithful,  hearts  once  all  our  own. 
Leave  us  to  weep,  to  bleed  and  die  alone  ; 
When  fears  and  cares  the  lonely  thought  employ. 
And  clouds  of  sorrow  hide  the  sun  of  joy ; 
When  weary  life,  breathing  reluctant  breath, 
Hath  no  hope  sweeter  than  the  hope  of  death, — 
Then  the  best  counsel  and  the  last  relief, 
To  cheer  the  spirit  or  to  cheat  the  grief, 
The  only  calm,  the  only  comfort  heard, 
Comes  in  the  music  of  a  woman's  word 
Like  beacon-bell  on  some  wild  island  shore, 
Silveiiy  ringing  in  the  tempest's  roar, 


CHAPTER   F,   VEltSE  80.  133 

Whose   sound   borne   shipward   through   the  midnight 

gloom, 
Tells  of  the  path,  and  turns  her  from  her  doom. 

So  in  the  silence  of  that  awful  hour, 

When  baffled  magic  mourned  its  parted  power, 

When  kings  were  pale,  and  satraps  shook  for  fear, 

A  woman  speaketh,  and  the  wisest  hear. 

She,  the  high  daughter  of  a  thousand  thrones, 

Telling  with  trembling  lip  and  timid  tones 

Of  him,  the  captive,  in  the  feast  forgot, 

Who  readeth  visions  ;  him,  whose  wondrous  lot 

Sends  him  to  lighten  doubt  and  lessen  gloom, 

And  gaze  undazzled  on  the  days  to  come ; 

Daniel,  the  Hebrew,  such  his  name  and  race, 

Held  by  a  monarch  highest  in  his  grace, 

He  may  declare — oh  !  bid  them  quickly  send, 

So  may  the  mystery  have  happy  end. 

Calmly  and  silent  as  the  fair,  full  moon 
Comes  smiling  upward  in  the  sky  of  June, 
Fearfully  as  the  troubled  clouds  of  night 
Shrink  from  before  the  coming  of  its  light, 
So  through  the  hall  the  prophet  passed  along, 
So  from  before  him  fell  the  festal  throng  ; 
By  broken  wassail-cup,  and  wine  o'erthrown, 
Pressed  he  still  onward  for  the  monarch's  throne. 
His  spirit  failed  him  not,  his  quiet  eye 
Lost  not  its  light  for  earthly  majesty  ; 
His  lip  was  steady  and  his  accent  clear, — 
"  The  king  hath  needed  me,  and  I  am  here." 

"  Art  thou  the  prophet  ?  read  me  yonder  scroll, 

Whose  undeciphered  horror  daunts  my  soul. 

There  shall  be  guerdon  for  the  grateful  task, 

Fitted  for  me  to  give,  for  thee  to  ask  : 

A  chain  to  deck  thee,  and  a  robe  to  grace, 

Thine  the  third  throne,  and  thou  the  third  in  place. " 


134 


THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 


He  heard,  and  turned  him  where  the  lighted  wall 
Dimmed  the  red  torches  of  the  festival, 
Gazed  on  the  sign  with  steady  gaze  and  set, 
And  he  who  quailed  not  at  a  kingly  threat 
Bent  the  true  knee  and  bowed  the  silver  hair, 
For  that  he  knew  the  King  of  kings  was  there  ; 
Then  nerved  his  soul  the  sentence  to  unfold, 
While  his  tongue  trembled  at  the  tale  it  told. 
And  never  tongue  shall  echo  tale  as  strange 
Till  that  change  cometh  which  shall  never  change. 

"  Keep  for  thyself  the  guerdon  and  the  gold  ; 

What  God  hath  graved,  God's  prophet  must  unfold ; 

Could  not  thy  father's  crime,  thy  father's  fate, 

Teach  thee  the  terror  thou  hast  learned  too  late  ? 

Hast  thou  not  read  the  lesson  of  his  life, — 

Who  wars  with  God  shall  strive  a  losing  strife  ? 

His  was  a  kingdom  mighty  as  thine  own, 

The  sword  his  scepter  and  the  earth  his  throne  ; 

The  nations  trembled  when  his  awful  eye 

Gave  to  them  leave  to  live  or  doom  to  die. 

The  lord  of  life,  the  keeper  of  the  grave, 

His  frown  could  wither  and  his  smile  could  save. 

Yet  when  his  heart  was  hard,  his  spirit  high, 

God  drave  him  from  his  kingly  majesty, 

Far  from  the  brotherhood  of  fellow-men, 

To  seek  for  dwelling  in  the  desert  den  ; 

Where  the  wild  asses  feed  and  oxen  roam, 

He  sought  his  pasture  and  he  made  his  home  ; 

And  bitter-biting  frost  and  dews  of  night 

Schooled  him  in  sorrow  till  he  knew  the  right, — 

That  God  is  ruler  of  the  rulers  still, 

And  setteth  up  the  sovereign  that  he  will. 

Oh,  hadst  thou  treasured  in  repentant  breast 

His  pride  and  fall,  his  penitence  and  rest, 

And  bowed  submissive  to  Jehovah's  will, 

Then  had  thy  scepter  been  a  scepter  still. 


CHAPTER   V,    VERSE  80.  135 

But  them  hast  mocked  the  majesty  of  Heaven, 

And  shamed  the  vessels  to  its  service  given, 

And  thou  hast  fashioned  idols  of  thine  own, — 

Idols  of  gold,  of  silver,  and  of  stone  ; 

To  them  hast  bowed  the  knee,  and  breathed  the  breath, 

And  they  must  help  thee  in  the  hour  of  death. 

Woe  for  the  sign  unseen,  the  sin  forgot ! 

God  was  among  ye,  and  ye  knew  it  not ! 

Hear  what  he  sayeth  now,  '  Thy  race  is  run, 

Thy  years  are  numbered  and  thy  days  are  done ; 

Thy  soul  hath  mounted  in  the  scale  of  fate, 

The  Lord  hath  weighed  thee,  and  thou  lackest  weight ; 

Now  in  thy  palace  porcli  the  spoilers  stand, 

To  seize  thy  scepter,  to  divide  thy  land. ' " 

He  ended,  and  his'  passing  foot  was  heard, 
But  none  made  answer,  not  a  lip  was  stirred  ; 
Mute  the  free  tongue  and  bent  the  fearless  brow, 
The  mystic  letters  had  their  meaning  now. 
Soon  came  there  other  sound, — the  clash  of  steel, 
The  heavy  ringing  of  the  iron  heel, 
The  curse  in  dying,  and  the  cry  for  life, — 
The  bloody  voices  of  the  battle  strife. 

That  night  they  slew  him  on  his  father's  throne, 
The  deed  unnoticed  and  the  hand  unknown  ; 
Crownless  and  scepterless  Belsha/zar  lay, 
A  robe  of  purple  round  a  form  of  clay. 


VI. 


DANIEL   IN   THE   LIONS'    DEN. 

VERSE  1.  It  pleased  Darius  to  set  over  the  kingdom  an 
hundred  and  twenty  princes,  which  should  be  over  the  whole 
kingdom  ;  2  ;  And  over  these  three  presidents ;  of  whom 
Daniel  was  first ;  that  the  princes  might  give  accounts  unto 
them,  and  the  king  should  have  no  damage.  3.  Then  this 
Daniel  was  preferred  above  the  presidents  and  princes,  be- 
cause an  excellent  spirit  was  in  him  ;  and  the  king  thought 
to  set  him  over  the  whole  realm.  4.  Then  the  presidents 
and  princes  sought  to  find  occasion  against  Daniel  concern- 
ing the  kingdom ;  but  they  could  find  none  occasion  nor 
fault ;  forasmuch  as  he  was  faithful,  neither  was  there  any 
error  or  fault  found  in  him.  5.  Then  said  these  men,  We 
shall  not  find  any  occasion  against  this  Daniel,  except  we 
find  it  against  him  concerning  the  law  of  his  God. 

Babylon  was  taken  by  the  Persians,  and  Darius 
the  Median  placed  upon  the  throne,  B.  c.  538.  Two 
years  later,  B.  c.  536,  Darius  dying,  Cyrus  took  the 
throne.  Somewhere,  therefore,  between  these  two 
dates  the  event  here  narrated  occurred. 

Daniel  was  a  chief  actor  in  the  kingdom  of 
Babylon  in  the  height  of  its  glory ;  and  from  that 
time  on,  to  the  time  that  the  Medes  and  Persians 
took  the  throne  of  universal  empire,  he  was  at  least 
a  resident  of  that  city,  and  acquainted  with  all  the 
affairs  of  the  kingdom ;  yet  he  gives  us  no  consecu- 
tive account  of  events  that  occurred  during  his 

(136) 


CHAPTER  V2\   VERSES  1-5. 


long  connection  with  these  kingdoms.  He  only 
touches  upon  an  event  here  and  there  such  as  is 
calculated  to  lead  the  people  of  God  in  all  ages  to 
be  steadfast,  and  inspire  faith  and  hope  and  courage 
in  their  hearts. 

The  event  narrated  in  this  chapter  is  alluded  to  by 
the  apostle  Paul  in  Heb.  11,  where  he  speaks  of  some 
who  through  faith  have  "stopped  the  mouths  of 
lions."  Darius  set  over  the  kingdom  a  hundred  and 
twenty  princes,  there  being,  as  is  supposed,  at  that 
time  a  hundred  and  twenty  provinces  in  the  empire, 
each  one  having  its  prince  or  governor.  By  the  vic- 
tories of  Cambyses  and  Darius  Hystaspes,  it  was 
afterward  enlarged  to  a  hundred  and  twenty-seven 
provinces.  Esth.  1:1.  Over  these  one  hundred 
and  twenty  were  set  three,  and  of  these  Daniel  was 
chief.  Preference  was  given  to  Daniel  because  of 
his  excellent  spirit.  Daniel,  who,  for  being  a  great 
man  in  the  empire  of  Babylon,  might  have  been  es- 
teemed an  enemy  by  Darius,  and  so  have  been  ban- 
ished or  otherwise  put  out  of  the  way  ;  or,  being  a 
captive  from  a  nation  then  in  ruins,  might  have 
been  despised  and  set  at  naught,  was  not  treated  in 
either  of  these  ways  ;  but,  to  the  credit  of  Darius  be 
it  said,  he  was  preferred  over  all  because  the  discern- 
ing king  saw  in  him  an  excellent  spirit.  And  the 
king  thought  to  set  him  over  the  whole  realm. 
Then  was  the  envy  of  the  other  rulers  raised  against 
him,  and  they  set  about  to  destroy  him.  But  Dan- 
iel's conduct  was  perfect  so  far  as  related  to  the 
kingdom.  He  was  faithful  and  true.  They  could 


138  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

find  no  occasion  against  him  011  that  score.  Then 
they  said  they  could  find  no  occasion  against  him 
except  as  concerning  the  law  of  his  God.  So  let  it 
be  with  us.  A  person  can  have  no  better  recom- 
mendation. 

VERSE  6.  Then  these  presidents  and  princes  assembled 
together  to  the  king,  and  said  thus  unto  him,  King  Darius, 
live  forever.  7.  All  the  presidents  of  the  kingdom,  the 
governors,  and  the  princes,  the  counselors,  and  the  captains, 
have  consulted  together  to  establish  a  royal  statute,  and  to 
make  a  firm  decree,  that  whosoever  shall  ask  a  petition  of 
any  God  or  man  for  thirty  days,  save  of  thee,  O  king,  he 
shall  be  cast  into  the  den  of  lions.  8.  Now,  O  king,  estab- 
lish the  decree,  and  sign  the  writing,  that  it  be  not  changed, 
according  to  the  law  of  the  Medes  and  Persians,  which  al- 
tereth  not.  9.  Wherefore  king  Darius  signed  the  writing 
and  the  decree.  10.  Now  when  Daniel  knew  that  the  writ- 
ing was  signed*,  he  went  into  his  house  ;  and,  his  windows 
being  open  in  his  chamber  toward  Jerusalem,  he  kneeled 
upon  his  knees  three  times  a  day,  and  prayed,  and  gave 
thanks  before  his  God,  as  he  did  aforetime. 

Mark  the  course  these  persons  took  to  accomplish 
their  nefarious  purposes.  They  came  together  to 
the  king, — came  tumultuously,  says  the  margin. 
They  came  as  though  some  urgent  matter  had  sud- 
denly come  up,  and  they  had  come  unanimously  to 
present  it  before  him.  They  claimed  that  all  were 
agreed.  This  was  false;  for  Daniel,  the  chief  of 
them  all,  was  not  of  course  consulted  in  the  matter. 
The  decree  they  fixed  upon  was  one  which  would 
flatter  the  king's  vanity,  and  thus  the  more  readily 
gain  his  assent.  It  would  be  a  position  before  un- 
heard of,  for  a  man  to  be  the  only  dispenser  of  fa- 


CHAPTER  VI,   VERSES  11-17.  139 

vors  and  granter  of  petitions  for  thirty  days.  Hence 
the  king,  not  fathoming  their  evil  designs,  signed  the 
decree,  and  it  took  its  place  on  the  statute  book,  as 
one  of  the  unalterable  laws  of  the  Medes  and 
Persians. 

Mark  the  length  to  which  people  will  go  to  ac- 
complish the  ruin  of  the  good.  If  they  had  made 
the  decree  read  that  no  petition  should  be  asked  of 
the  God  of  the  Hebrews,  which  was  the  real  design 
of  the  matter,  the  king  would  at  once  have  divined 
their  object,  and  the  decree  would  not  have  been 
signed.  So  they  gave  it  a  general  application,  and 
were  willing  to  ignore  and  heap  insult  upon  their 
whole  system  of  religion,  and  all  the  multitude  of 
their  gods,  for  the  sake  of  ruining  the  object  of  their 
hatred. 

Daniel  foresaw  the  conspiracy  going  on  against 
him  ;  but  took  no  means  to  thwart  it.  He  simply 
committed  himself  to  God,  and  left  the  issue  to  his 
providence.  He  did  not  leave  the  empire  on  pre- 
tended business,  or  perform  his  devotions  with  more 
than  ordinary  secrecy ;  but,  when  he  knew  the  writ- 
ing was  signed,  just  as  aforetime,  with  his  face 
turned  toward  his  beloved  Jerusalem,  he  kneeled 
down  in  his  chamber  three  times  a  day,  and  poured 
out  his  pra}^ers  and  supplications  to  God. 

VERSE  11.  Then  these  men  assembled,  and  found  Daniel 
praying  and  making  supplication  before  his  God.  12.  Then 
they  came  near,  and  spake  before  the  king  concerning  the 
king's  decree :  Hast  theu  not  signed  a  decree,  that  every 
man  that  shall  ask  a  petition  of  any  God  or  man  within 
thirty  days,  save  of  thee,  O  king,  shall  be  cast  into  the  den 


140  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

of  lions?  The  king  answered  and  said,  This  thing  is  true, 
according  to  the  law  of  the  Medes  and  Persians,  which  alter- 
eth  not.  13.  Then  answered  they  and  said  before  the  king, 
That  Daniel,  which  is  of  the  children  of  the  captivity  of 
Judah,  regardeth  not  thee,  O  king,  nor  the  decree  that  thou 
hast  signed,  but  maketh  his  petition  three  times  a  day.  14. 
Then  the  king,  when  he  heard  these  words,  was  sore  dis- 
pleased with  himself,  and  set  his  heart  on  Daniel  to  deliver 
him ;  and  he  labored  till  the  going  down  of  the  sun  to  deliver 
him.  15.  Then  these  men  assembled  unto  the  king,  and  said 
unto  the  king,  Know,  O  king,  that  the  law  of  the  Medes  and 
Persians  is,  That  no  decree  nor  statute  which  the  king  es- 
tablisheth  may  be  changed.  16.  Then  the  king  commanded, 
and  they  brought  Daniel,  and  cast  him  into  the  den  of  lions. 
Now  the  king  spake  and  said  unto  Daniel,  Thy  God  whom 
thou  servest  continually,  he  will  deliver  thee.  17.  And  a 
stone  was  brought,  and  laid  upon  the  mouth  of  the  den  ;  and 
the  king  sealed  it  with  his  own  signet,  and  with  the  signet  of 
his  lords ;  that  the  purpose  might  not  be  changed  concerning 
DanieL 

It  only  remained  for  these  men,  having  set  the 
trap,  to  watch  their  victim,  that  they  might  ensnare 
him  therein.  So  they  again  came  tumultuously  to- 
gether, this  time  at  the  residence  of  Daniel,  as  though 
some  important  business  had  called  them  suddenly 
together  to  consult  the  chief  of  the  presidents ;  and 
lo,  they  found  him  just  as  they  intended  and  hoped, 
praying  to  his  God.  So. far  all  has  worked  well. 
They  were  not  long  in  going  to  the  king  with  the 
matter,  and,  to  render  it  more  sure,  got  an  acknowl- 
edgment from  the  king  that  such  a  decree  was  in 
force.  Then  they  were  ready  to  inform  against 
Daniel ;  and  mark  their  mean  resort  to  excite  the 
prejudices  of  the  king  :  "That  Daniel,  which  is  of 


CHAPTER  VI,    VERSES  18-24.  141 

the  children  of  the  captivity  of  Judah."  Yes,  that 
poor  captive,  who  is  entirely  dependent  on  you  for 
all  that  he  enjoys,  so  far  from  being  grateful  and 
appreciating  your  favors,  regards  not  you,  nor  pays 
any  attention  to  your  decree.  Then  the  king  saw 
the  trap  that  had  been  prepared  for  him,  as  well  as 
for  Daniel,  and  he  labored  till  the  going  down  of  the 
sun  to  deliver  him,  probably  by  personal  efforts  with 
the  conspirators,  to  cause  them  to  relent,  or  by  argu- 
ments and  endeavors  to  procure  the  repeal  of  the 
law.  But  they  were  inexorable.  The  law  was  sus- 
tained ;  and  Daniel,  the  venerable,  the  grave,  the 
upright  and  faultless  servant  of  the  kingdom,  is 
thrown,  as  if  he  had  been  one  of  the  vilest  of  male- 
factors, into  the  den  of  lions  to  be  devoured  by  them. 

VERSE  18.  Then  the  king  went  to  his  palace,  and  passed 
the  night  fasting  ;  neither  were  instruments  of  music  brought 
before  him  ;  and  his  sleep  went  from  him.  19.  Then  the 
king  arose  very  early  in  the  morning,  and  went  in  haste  unto 
the  den  of  lions.  20.  And  when  he  came  to  the  den,  he 
cried  with  a  lamentable  voice  unto  Daniel ;  and  the  king 
spake  and  said  to  Daniel,  O  Daniel,  servant  of  the  living 
God,  is  thy  God,  whom  thou  servest  continually,  able  to  de- 
liver thee  from  the  lions  ?  21.  Then  said  Daniel  unto  the 
king,  O  king,  live  forever.  22.  My  God  hath  sent  his  angel, 
and  hath  shut  the  lions'  mouths,  that  they  have  not  hurt  me ; 
forasmuch  as  before  him  innocency  was  found  in  me  ;  and 
also  before  thee,  O  king,  have  I  done  no  hurt.  23.  Then 
was  the  king  exceeding  glad  for  him,  and  commanded  that 
they  should  take  Daniel  up  out  of  the  den.  So  Daniel  was 
taken  up  out  of  the  den,  and  no  manner  of  hurt  was  found 
upon  him,  because  he  believed  in  his  God.  24.  And  the 
king  commanded,  and  they  brought  those  men  which  had 
accused  Daniel,  and  they  cast  them  into  the  den  of  lions, 


142  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

them,  their  children,  and  their  wives  ;  and  the  lions  had  the 
mastery  of  them,  and  brake  all  their  bones  in  pieces  or  ever 
they  came  at  the  bottom  of  the  den. 

The  course  of  the  king  after  Daniel  had  been  cast 
into  the  den  of  lions  attests  his  genuine  interest  in 
his  behalf,  and  the  severe  condemnation  he  felt  for 
his  own  course  in  the  matter.  At  earliest  dawn  he 
repaired  to  the  den  where  his  prime  minister  had 
passed  the  night  in  company  with  hungry  and  rav- 
enous beasts.  Daniel's  response  to  his  first  salutation 
was  no  word  of  reproach  for  the  king's  course  in 
yielding  to  his  persecutors,  but  a  term  of  respect  and 
honor,  "  O  king,  live  forever."  He  afterward,  how- 
ever, reminds  the  king,  in  a  manner  which  he  must 
have  keenly  felt,  but  to  which  he  could  take  no  ex- 
ception, that  before  him  he  had  done  no  hurt.  And 
on  account  of  his  innocency,  God,  whom  he  served 
continually,  not  at  intervals  nor  by  fits  and  starts, 
had  sent  his  angel,  and  shut  the  lions'  mouths. 

Here,  then,  stood  Daniel  preserved  by  a  power 
higher  than  any  of  earth.  His  cause  was  vindicated, 
his  innocency  declared.  No  hurt  was  found  on  him, 
because  he  believed  in  his  God.  Faith  did  it.  A 
miracle  had  been  wrought.  Why,  then,  were  Dan- 
iel's accusers  brought  and  cast  in  ?  It  is  said  that 
they  attributed  the  preservation  of  Daniel,  not  to 
any  miracle  in  his  behalf,  but  to  the  fact  that  the 
lions  chanced  at  that  tune  not  to  be  hungry.  Then, 
said  the  king,  they  will  no  more  attack  you  than 
him,  so  we  will  test  the  matter  by  putting  you  in. 
The  lions  were  hungry  enough  when  they  could  get 


CHAPTER  VI,   VERSES  25-28.  143 

hold  of  the  guilty;  and  these  men  were  torn  to 
pieces  ere  they  reached  the  bottom  of  the  den. 
Thus  was  Daniel's  case  doubly  vindicated  ;  and  thus 
strikingly  were  the  words  of  Solomon  fulfilled : 
"  The  righteous  is  delivered  out  of  trouble,  and  the 
wicked  cometh  in  his  stead."  Prov.  11:8. 

VERSE  25.  Then  king  Darius  wrote  unto  all  people,  na- 
tions, and  languages,  that  dwell  in  all  the  earth  :  Peace  be 
multiplied  unto  you.  26.  I  make  a  decree,  That  in  every 
dominion  of  my  kingdom  men  tremble  and  fear  before  the 
God  of  Daniel ;  for  he  is  the  living  God,  and  steadfast  for- 
ever, and  his  kingdom  that  which  shall  not  be  destroyed, 
and  his  dominion  shall  be  even  unto  the  end.  27.  He  deliv- 
ereth  and  rescueth,  and  he  worketh  signs  and  wonders  in 
heaven  and  in  earth,  who  hath  delivered  Daniel  from  the 
power  of  the  lions.  28.  So  this  Daniel  prospered  in  the 
reign  of  Darius,  and  in  the  reign  of  Cyrus  the  Persian. 

The  result  of  this  experience  of  Daniel  is  that 
another  proclamation  goes  out  through  the  empire 
in  favor  of  the  true  God,  the  God  of  Israel.  All 
men  were  to  fear  and  tremble  before  him.  What 
Daniel's  enemies  <lesigned  to  prove  his  ruin,  resulted 
only  in  his  advancement.  In  this  case,  and  in  case 
of  the  three  Hebrews  in  the  fiery  furnace,  the  seal 
of  God  is  set  in  favor  of  two  great  lines  of  duty : 
1.  As  in  the  case  of  the  three  in  the  fiery  furnace, 
not  to  yield  to  any  known  sin ;  and  2.  As  in  the 
present  case,  not  to  omit  any  known  duty.  And 
from  these  instances,  the  people  of  God  are  to  take 
encouragement,  in  all  ages. 

The  decree  of  the  king  sets  forth  the  character 
of  the  true  God  in  fine  terms :  1.  He  is  the  living 


144  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

God ;  all  others  are  dead.  2.  He  is  steadfast  for- 
ever ;  all  others  change.  3.  He  has  a  kingdom ;  for 
he  made  and  governs  all.  4.  His  kingdom  shall 
not  be  destroyed;  all  others  come  to  an  end.  5. 
His  dominion  is  without  end ;  no  human  power  can 
prevail  against  it.  6.  He  delivereth  those  who  are 
in  bondage.  7.  He  rescueth  his  servants  from  their 
enemies  when  they  call  upon  him  for  help.  8.  He 
worketh  wonders  in  the  heavens  and  signs  upon  the 
earth.  9.  And  to  complete  all,  he  hath  delivered 
Daniel,  giving  before  our  own  eyes  the  fullest  proof 
of  his  power  and  goodness  in  rescuing  his  servant 
from  the  power  of  the  lions.  How  excellent  a 
eulogium  is  this  on  the  great  God  and  his  faithful 
servant ! 

Thus  closes  the  historical  part  of  the  book  of 
Daniel.  We  now  come  to  the  prophetical  portion, 
which,  like  a  shining  beacon  light,  has  thrown  its 
rays  over  all  the  course  of  time  from  that  point  to 
the  present,  and  is  still  lighting  up  the  pathway  of 
the  church  onward  to  the  eternal  kingdom. 


GREECE. 


PLATE  II.— SYMBOLS  OF  DANIEL  VII. 


VII. 


THE    FOUR    BEASTS. 

VERSE  1.  In  the  first  year  of  Belshazzar  king  of  Babylon, 
Daniel  had  a  dream  and  visions  of  his  head  upon  his  bed ; 
then  he  wrote  the  dream,  and  told  the  sum  of  the  matters. 

This  is  the  same  Belshazzar  mentioned  in  chap- 
ter 5.  Chronologically,  therefore,  this  chapter  fol- 
lows chapter  5.  But  chronological  order  has  been 
disregarded,  in  order  that  the  historical  part  of  the 
book  might  stand  by  itself,  and  the  prophetical  part, 
on  which  we  now  enter,  might  not  be  interrupted 
by  writings  of  that  nature. 

VERSE  2.  Daniel  spake  and  said,  I  saw  in  my  vision  by 
night,  and,  behold,  the  four  winds  of  the  heaven  strove  upon 
the  great  sea.  3.  And  four  great  beasts  came  up  from  the 
sea,  diverse  one  from  another. 

All  scripture  language  is  to  be  taken  literally, 
unless  there  exists  some  good  reason  for  supposing 
it  to  be  figurative ;  and  all  that  is  figurative  is  to 
be  interpreted  by  that  which  is  literal.  That  the 
language  here  used  is  symbolic,  is  evident  from 
verse  17,  which  reads,  "  These  great  beasts  which 
are  four,  are  four  kings  which  shall  arise  out  of  the 
earth."  And  to  show  that  these  are  not  kings 
simply,  but  kingdoms,  the  angel  continues,  "But 
the  saints  of  the  Most  High  shall  take  the  kingdom." 
10  (145) 


146  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

And  further,  in  the  explanation  in  verse  23,  the 
angel  said,  The  fourth  beast  shall  he  the  fourth 
kingdom  upon  the  earth.  These  beasts  are  there- 
fore symbols  of  four  great  kingdoms ;  and  the  cir- 
cumstances under  which  they  arise,  and  the  means 
by  which  their  elevation  was  accomplished,  as  rep- 
resented in  prophecy,  are  symbolic  also.  The  sym- 
bols introduced  are,  the  four  winds,  the  sea,  four 
great  beasts,  ten  horns,  and  another  horn  which  had 
eyes  and  a  mouth  and  rose  up  in  war  against  God 
and  his  people.  We  have  now  to  inquire  what 
they  denote. 

Winds,  in  symbolic  language,  denote  strife,  polit- 
ical commotion,  and  war.  Jer.  25  : 31,  32,  33. 
"Thus  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts,  Behold,  evil  shall 
go  forth  from  nation  to  nation,  and  a  great  whirl- 
wind shall  be  raised  up  from  the  coasts  of  the  earth. 
And  the  slain  of  the  Lord  shall  be  at  that  day  from 
one  end  of  the  earth  even  unto  the  other  end  of  the 
earth."  Here  the  prophet  speaks  of  a  controversy 
which  the  Lord  is  to  have  with  all  nations  when 
the  wicked  shall  be  given  to  the  sword,  and  the 
slain  of  the  Lord  shall  be  from  one  end  of  the  earth 
to  the  other ;  and  the  strife  and  commotion  which 
produces  all  this  destruction  is  called  a  great  whirl- 
wind. 

That  winds  denote  strife  and  war  is  further  evi- 
dent from  a  consideration  of  the  vision  itself ;  for 
as  the  result  of  the  striving  of  the  winds,  kingdoms 
arise  and  fall ;  and  these  events  arc  accomplished 
through  political  strife. 


CHAPTER   VII,    VEJiSE  4-  147 

The  Bible  definition  of  sea,  or  waters,  when  used 
as  a  symbol,  is  peoples,  and  nations,  and  tongues. 
In  proof  of  this,  we  have  only  to  read  Rev.  17 : 
15,  where  it  is  expressly  so  declared. 

The  definition  of  the  symbol  of  the  four  beasts  is 
given  to  Daniel  ere  the  close  of  the  vision.  Verse 
17  :  "These  great  beasts  which  are  four,  are  four 
kings  which  shall  arise  out  of  the  earth."  The  field 
of  the  vision  is  thus  definitely  opened  before  us. 

VERSE  4.  The  first  was  like  a  lion,  and  had  eagles'  wings  ; 
I  beheld  till  the  wings  thereof  were  plucked,  and  it  was 
lifted  up  from  the  earth,  and  made  stand  upon  the  feet  as  a 
man,  and  a  man's  heart  was  given  to  it. 

As  these  beasts  denote  four  kings,  or  kingdoms, 
we  inquire,  What  four  ?  Where  shall  we  commence 
to  enumerate  ?  These  beasts  do  not  rise  all  at  once, 
but  consecutively,  as  they  are  spoken  of  as  first, 
second,  etc.;  and  the  last  one  is  in  existence  when 
all  earthly  scenes  are  brought  to  an  end  by  the  final 
Judgment.  Now,  from  the  time  of  Daniel  to  the 
end  of  this  world's  history,  there  were  to  be  but 
four  universal  kingdoms,  as  we  learn  from  Nebu- 
chadnezzar's vision  of  the  great  image  in  chapter 
2.  Daniel  was  still  living  under  the  same  kingdom 
which  he  had  declared  in  his  interpretation  of  the 
king's  dream,  about  forty-eight  years  before,  to  be 
the  head  of  gold.  The  first  beast  of  this  vision 
must,  therefore,  denote  the  same  as  the  head  of  gold 
of  the  great  image,  namely,  the  kingdom  of  Baby- 
lon, and  the  other  beasts  the  succeeding  kingdoms 
as  shown  by  that  image.  But  if  this  vision  covers 


148  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

essentially  the  same  ground  as  the  image  of  chap- 
ter 2,  the  query  may  arise  why  it  is  given ;  why 
was  not  the  vision  of  chapter  2  sufficient?  We 
answer,  The  ground  is  passed  over  again  and  again, 
that  additional  characteristics  may  be  brought  out, 
and  additional  facts  and  features  may  be  presented. 
It  is  thus  that  we  have  line  upon  line.  Here  earthly 
governments  are  represented  as  viewed  in  the  light 
of  Heaven.  Their  true  character  is  shown  by  the 
symbols  of  wild  and  ravenous  beasts. 

At  first,  the  lion  had  eagles'  wings,  denoting  the 
rapidity  with  which  Babylon  extended  its  con- 
quests under  Nebuchadnezzar.  When  this  vision 
was  given,  a  change  had  taken  place.  Its  wings 
had  been  plucked.  It  no  longer  flew  like  an  eagle 
upon  its  prey.  The  boldness  and  spirit  of  the  lion 
were  gone.  A  man's  heart,  weak,  timorous,  and 
faint,  had  taken  its  place.  Such  was  emphatically 
the  case  in  the  person  of  the  imbecile  and  pusillani- 
mous Belshazzar,  who  in  weakness  and  fear  shut 
himself  up  in  the  city  of  Babylon,  and  with  whom 
the  Babylonian  kingdom  came  to  an  end,  B.  c.  538. 

VERSE  5.  And  behold  another  beast,  a  second,  like  to  a 
bear,  and  it  raised  up  itself  on  one  side,  and  it  had  three 
»ibs  in  the  mouth  of  it  between  the  teeth  of  it;  and  they 
said  thus  unto  it,  Arise,  devour  much  flesh. 

As  in  the  great  image  of  chapter  2,  so  in  this 
series  of  symbols,  a  marked  deterioration  will  be  no- 
ticed as  we  descend  from  one  kingdom  to  another. 
The  breast  and  arms  of  silver  were  inferior  to  the 
head  of  gold.  The  bear  was  inferior  to  the  lion. 


CHAPTER  VII,    VERSE  6. 


Medo-Persia  fell  short  of  Babylon  in  wealth  and 
magnificence,  and  the  brilliancy  of  its  career.  And 
now  we  come  to  additional  particulars  respecting 
this  power.  The  bear  raised  itself  up  on  one  side. 
This  kingdom  was  composed  of  two  nationalities, 
the  Medes  and  Persians.  The  same  fact  is  repre- 
sented by  the  two  horns  of  the  ram  of  chapter  8, 
of  which  it  is  said,  the  higher  came  up  last.  This 
illustrates  the  same  thing  as  the  bear's  rising  up  on 
one  side,  that  is,  the  Persian  element  came  up  last, 
but  attained  the  higher  eminence,  becoming  the 
leading  division  of  the  kingdom.  The  three  ribs 
perhaps  signify  the  three  provinces  of  Babylon, 
Lydia,  and  Egypt,  which  were  especially  ground 
down  and  oppressed  by  this  power.  Their  saying 
unto  it,  "Arise  and  devour  much  flesh,"  is  thought 
by  some  to  refer  to  the  stimulus  given  to  the  Medes 
and  Persians,  by  the  overthrow  of  these  provinces, 
to  plan  and  enter  upon  extensive  conquests.  The 
character  of  the  power  is  well  represented  by  a 
bear.  The  Medes  and  Persians  were  cruel  and  ra- 
pacious, —  robbers  and  spoilers  of  the  people.  As  al- 
ready noticed  in  the  exposition  of  chapter  2,  it 
dated  from  the  overthrow  of  Babylon  by  Cyrus,  B. 
c.  538,  and  continued  to  the  battle  of  Arbela,  B.  c., 
331,  a  period  of  207  years. 

VERSE  6.  After  this  I  beheld,  and  lo,  another,  like  a  leop- 
ard, which  had  upon  the  back  of  it  four  wings  of  a  fowl  ;  the 
beast  had  also  four  heads  ;  and  dominion  was  given  to  it. 

The  third  kingdom,  Grecia,  is  represented  by  this 
symbol.  If  wings  upon  the  lion  signified  rapidity 


150  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

of  conquest,  they  would  signify  the  same  here. 
The  leopard  itself  is  a  swift-footed  beast,  but  this 
was  not  enough ;  it  must  have  wings  in  addition. 
Two  wings,  the  number  the  lion  had,  were  not  suf- 
ficient ;  it  must  have  four.  If  we  are  correct  in  the 
application,  this  must  denote  unparalleled  celerity 
of  movement ;  and  this  we  find  to  be  historically 
true  of  the  Grecian  kingdom.  The  conquests  of 
Grecia,  especially  under  Alexander,  for  suddenness 
and  rapidity  have  no  parallel  in  historic  annals. 

Rollin,  Ancient  Hist.,  B.  15,  Sec.  2,  gives  the  fol- 
lowing brief  synopsis  of  Alexander's  marches : — 

"From  Macedonia  to, the  Ganges,  which  river  Alexander 
nearly  approached,  is  computed  at  least  eleven  hundred 
leagues.  Add  to  this  the  various  turnings  in  Alexander's 
marches  ;  first,  from  the  extremity  of  Cilicia,  where  the  bat- 
tle of  Issus  was  fought,  to  the  temple  of  Jupiter  Ammon  in 
Libya ;  and  his  returning  from  thence  to  Tyre,  a  journey 
of  three  hundred  leagues  at  least,  and  as  much  space  at  least 
for  the  windings  of  his  route  in  different  places ;  we  shall 
find  that  Alexander,  in  less  than  eight  years,  marched  his 
army  upwards  of  seventeen  hundred  leagues  [or  more  than 
fifty-one  hiwidred  miles],  without  including  his  return  to 
Babylon." 

"  The  beast  had  also  four  heads."  The  Grecian 
empire  maintained  its  unity  only  during  the  life  of 
Alexander.  When  his  brilliant  career  ended  in  a 
drunken  debauch,  the  empire  was  shortly  divided 
between  his  four  leading  generals.  Cassander  had 
Macedon  and  Greece  in  the  west ;  Lysimachus  had 
Thrace  and  the  parts  of  Asia  on  the  Hellespont  and 
Bosporus,  in  the  north;  Ptolemy  received  Egypt, 


PAGAN  ROME. 


PAPAL  ROME. 


PLATE  III.— FOURTH  BEAST  OF  DAN.  VII. 


CHAPTER  VII,  VERSES  7,  8.  151 

Lydia,  Arabia,  Palestine,  and  Coele-Syria,  in  the 
south ;  and  Seleucus  had  Syria  and  all  the  rest  of 
Alexander's  dominions  in  the  east. 

Thus  accurately  were  the  words  of  the  prophet 
fulfilled.  As  Alexander  left  no  available  successor, 
why  did  not  the  huge  empire  break  up  into  count- 
less petty  fragments  ?  Why  just  four  parts  and  no 
more  ?  Because  the  prophecy  had  said  that  there 
should  be  four.  The  leopard  was  to  have  four 
heads,  the  rough  goat  four  horns,  the  kingdom  four 
divisions;  and  thus  it  was.  See  on  chapter  8. 

VERSE  7.  After  this  I  saw  in  the  night  visions,  and  behold 
a  fourth  beast,  dreadful  and  terrible,  and  strong  exceed- 
ingly ;  and  it  had  great  iron  teeth  ;  it  devoured  and  brake 
in  pieces,  and  stamped  the  residue  with  the  feet  of  it ;  and  it 
was  diverse  from  all  the  beasts  that  were  before  it ;  and  it 
had  ten  horns. 

Inspiration  finds  no  beast  in  nature  which  it  can 
make  even  the  basis  of  a  symbol  to  represent  the 
power  here  illustrated.  No  addition  of  hoofs,  heads, 
wings,  scales,  or  horns,  to  any  beast  found  in  nature 
would  answer.  The  power  was  diverse  from  all 
others,  and  the  symbol  wholly  nondescript. 

TERSE  8.  I  considered  the  horns,  and,  behold,  there  came 
up  among  them  another  little  horn,  before  whom  there  were 
three  of  the  first  horns  plucked  up  by  the  roots ;  and,  be- 
hold, in  this  horn  were  eyes  like  the  eyes  of  man,  and  a 
mouth  speaking  great  things. 

The  foundation  for  a  volume  is  laid  in  verses  7 
and  8  just  quoted;  and  we  are  disposed  to  treat 
them  the  more  briefly  here,  because  anything  like  a 


152  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

full  exposition  is  entirely  beyond  the  space  that 
can  be  allowed  in  these  brief  thoughts.  This  beast 
of  course  corresponds  to  the  fourth  division  of  the 
great  image, — the  legs  of  iron.  Under  chapter  2, 
verse  40,  are  given  some  reasons  for  supposing  this 
power  to  be  Rome.  The  same  are  applicable  to  the 
present  prophecy.  How  accurately  Rome  answered 
to  the  iron  division  of  the  image !  How  accurately 
it  answers  to  the  beast  before  us  !  In  the  dread  and 
terror  which  it  inspired,  and  in  its  exceeding 
strength,  the  world  never  has  seen  its  equal.  It  de- 
voured, as  with  iron  teeth,  and  brake  in  pieces ;  and 
it  ground  the  nations  into  the  very  dust,  beneath 
its  brazen  feet.  It  had  ten  horns,  which  are  ex- 
plained in  verse  24  to  be  ten  kings  or  kingdoms 
which  should  arise  out  of  this  empire.  As  already 
noticed,  Rome  was  divided  into  ten  kingdoms,  enu- 
merated by  Machiavel  as  follows  :  1.  The  Huns  ; 
2.  The  Ostrogoths;  3.  The  Visigoths;  4.  The 
Franks;  5.  The  Vandals;  6.  The^Suevi ;  7.  The 
Burgundians ;  8.  The  Heruli ;  9.  The  Anglo-Sax- 
ons; 10.  The  Lombards.  These  divisions  have  ever 
since  been  spoken  of  as  the  ten  kingdoms  of  the 
Roman  empire.  See  on  chap.  2:41,  42. 

Daniel  considered  the  horns.  Indications  of  a 
strange  movement  appeared  among  them.  A  little 
horn  (at  first  little,  but  afterward  more  stout  than 
its  fellows),  thrust  itself  up  among  them.  It  was 
not  content  to  quietly  find  a  place  of  its  own,  and 
fill  it ;  it  must  thrust  aside  some  of  the  others,  and 
usurp  their  places.  Three  kingdoms  were  plucked 


CHAPTER   VII,  VERSES  9,  10.  153 

up  before  it.  This  little  horn,  as  we  shall  have  oc- 
casion to  notice  more  fully  hereafter,  was  the  pa- 
pacy. The  three  horns  plucked  up  before  it,  were 
the  Heruli,  the  Ostrogoths,  and  the  Vandals.  Not 
that  these  kingdoms  were  destroyed ;  this  was  not 
necessary ;  but  they  must  retire  from  the  Held  be- 
fore the  arrogant  claims  of  the  papacy,  arid  seek 
their  territorial  limits  in  other  quarters. 

And  "in  this  horn  were  eyes  like  the  eyes  of 
man,  and  a  mouth  speaking  great  things," — the  eyes 
a  fit  emblem  of  the  shrewdness,  penetration,  cun- 
ning, and  foresight  of  the  papal  hierarchy ;  and  the 
mouth  speaking  great  things  a  fit  symbol  of  the 
arrogant  claims  of  the  bishops  of  Rome. 

VERSE  9.  I  beheld  till  the  thrones  were  cast  down,  and 
the  Ancient  of  Days  did  sit,  whose  garment  was  white  as 
snow,  and  the  hair  of  his  head  like  the  pure  wool  ;  his  throne 
was  like  the  fiery  ilame,  and  his  wheels  as  burning  fire.  10. 
A  fiery  stream  issued  and  came  forth  from  before  him  ; 
thousand  thousands  ministered  unto  him,  and  ten  thousand 
times  ten  thousand  stood  before  him  ;  the  Judgment  was  set, 
and  the  books  were  opened. 

A  sublimer  description  of  a  sublimer  scene  is  not 
to  be  found  in  the  English  language.  But  not  only 
on  account  of  the  grand  and  lofty  imagery  intro- 
duced should  it  arrest  our  attention ;  the  nature  of 
the  scene  itself  is  such  as  to  demand  most  serious 
consideration.  The  Judgment  is  brought  to  view ; 
and  whenever  the  Judgment  is  mentioned,  it  ought 
to  take  an  irresistible  hold  upon  every  mind ;  for 
all  have  an  interest  in  its  eternal  issues. 


154  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

By  an  unfortunate  translation  in  verse  9,  a  wrong 
idea  is  almost  sure  to  be  conveyed.  The  words 
"  cast  down  "  are  from  a  word  which  in  the  original 
signifies  just  the  opposite,  namely,  to  set  up.  Dr. 
Clarke  says  "  that  it  might  be  translated  erected ; 
so  the  Vulgate  positi  sunt  [were  placed],  and  so  all 
the  versions."  The  Septuagint  has  etethesan  [  Gr., 
irt&qaav],  which  is  defined  to  mean  "to  set,  put, 
place,  to  set  up,  to  erect."  The  thrones  are  not  the 
thrones  of  earthly  kingdoms  which  are  to  be  thrown 
down  at  the  last  day,  but  thrones  of  Judgment 
which  are  to  be  set  up,  just  before  the  end. 

The  "Ancient  of  Days,"  God  the  Father,  takes 
the  throne  of  Judgment.  Mark  the  description  of 
his  person.  Those  who  believe  in  the  impersonality 
of  God  are  obliged  to  admit  that  he  is  here  de- 
scribed as  a  personal  being ;  but  they  console  them- 
selves by  saying  that  it  is  the  only  description  of 
the  kind  in  the  Bible.  We  do  not  admit  this  latter 
assertion ;  but  granting  that  it  were  true,  is  not 
one  description  of  this  kind  as  fatal  to  their  theory 
as  though  it  were  repeated  a  score  of  times  ?  The 
thousand  thousands  who  minister  unto  him,  and  the 
ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand  who  stand  before 
him,  are  not  sinners  arraigned  before  the  judgment- 
seat,  but  heavenly  beings  who  wait  before  him  at- 
tendant on  his  will.  An  understanding  of  these 
verses  involves  an  understanding  of  the  subject  of 
the  sanctuary,  to  works  on  which  subject  we  refer 
the  reader.  The  closing  up  of  the  ministration  of 
Christ,  our  great  High  Priest,  in  the  heavenly  sane- 


CHAPTER  VII,   VERSES  11,  13.  155 

tuary,  is  the  work  of  the  Judgment  here  introduced. 
It  is  an  investigative  Judgment.  The  books  are 
opened,  and  the  cases  of  all  come  up  for  examina- 
tion before  that  great  tribunal,  that  it  may  be  de- 
termined beforehand  who  are  to  receive  eternal  life 
when  the  Lord  shall  come  to  confer  it  upon  his 
people.  John,  as  recorded  in  Rev.  5,  had  a  view  of 
this  same  place,  and  saw  the  same  number  of  heav- 
enly attendants  engaged  with  Christ  in  the  work 
of  investigative  Judgment.  Looking  into  the  sanc- 
tuary (as  we  learn  from  Rev.  4  that  he  was),  in 
chapter  5 : 11,  he  says,  "And  I  beheld,  and  I  heard 
the  voice  of  many  angels  round  about  the  throne, 
and  the  beasts,  and  the  elders ;  and  the  number  of 
them  was  ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand,  and 
thousands  of  thousands." 

It  will  appear  from  the  testimony  of  chapter  8  : 
14,  that  this  solemn  work  is  even  now  transpiring 
in  the  sanctuary  above. 

VEKSE  11.  I  beheld  then,  because  of  the  voice  of  the  great 
words  which  the  horn  spake ;  I  beheld,  even  till  the  beast 
was  slain,  and  his  body  destroyed,  and  given  to  the  burning 
flame.  12.  As  concerning  the  rest  of  the  beasts,  they  had 
their  dominion  taken  away  ;  yet  their  lives  were  prolonged 
for  a  season  and  time. 

There  are  persons  who  believe  in  a  thousand 
years'  triumph  of  the  gospel  and  reign  of  righteous- 
ness jover  all  the  world  before  the  Lord  comes ;  and 
there  are  others  who  believe  in  probation  after  the 
Lord  comes,  and  a  mixed  millennium,  the  immortal 
righteous  still  proclaiming  the  gospel  to  mortal  sin- 


156  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

ners,  and  turning  them  into  the  way  of  salvation. 
But  both  of  these  systems  of  error  are  completely 
demolished  by  the  verses  before  us. 

1.  The  fourth  terrible   beast    continues  without 
change  of  character,  and  the  little  horn  continues 
to  utter  its  blasphemies,   and   hold  its  millions  of 
votaries  in  the  bonds  of  a  blind  superstition,  till  the 
beast  is  given  to  the  burning  flame ;  and  this  is  not 
its  conversion,  but  its  destruction.    See  2  Thess.  2  : 8. 

2.  The  life  of  the  fourth  beast  is  not  prolonged 
after  its  dominion  is  gone,  as  were  the  lives  of  the 
preceding  beasts.     Their  dominion  was  taken  away, 
but  their  lives  were  prolonged  for  a  season.     The 
territory  and  subjects  of  the  Babylonish  kingdom 
still  existed,  though  subjected  to  the  Persians.     So 
of  the  Persian  kingdom  in  respect  to  Grecia,  and  of 
Grecia  in  respect  to  Rome.     But  what  succeeds  the 
fourth  kingdom  ?     No  government  or  state  in  which 
mortals  have  any  part.     Its  career  ends  in  the  lake 
of  fire,  and  it  has  no  existence  beyond.     The  lion 
was  merged  into  the  bear ;  the  bear  into  the  leopard  ; 
the  leopard  into  the  fourth  beast ;  and  the  fourth 
beast  into  what  ?     Not  into  another  beast ;  but  it  is 
cast  into  the  lake  of  fire,  under  which  destruction 
it  rests  till  men  shall  suffer  the  second  death.    Then 
let  no  one  talk  of  probation  or  a  mixed  millennium 
after  the  Lord  comes. 

The  adverb  then,  in  the  sentence,  "  I  beheld  then, 
because  of  the  voice  of  the  great  words  which  the 
horn  spake,"  etc.,  seems  to  refer  to  some  particular 
time.  The  work  of  investigative  Judgment  is  in- 


CHAPTER  VII,  VERSES  IS,  14.  157 

troduced  in  the  verses  before.  And  this  verse  would 
seem  to  imply  that  while  this  work  is  going  for- 
ward, and  just  before  this  power  is  destroyed  and 
given  to  the  burning  flame,  the  little  horn  utters  its 
great  words  against  the  Most  High.  Have  we  not 
heard  them,  and  that,  too,  within  a  few  years  ? 
Look  at  the  Vatican  Council  of  1870.  What  can 
be  more  blasphemous  than  to  attribute  infallibility 
to  a  mortal  man  ?  Yet  in  that  year  the  world  be- 
held the  spectacle  of  an  Ecumenical  Council  assem- 
bled for  the  purpose  of  deliberately  decreeing  that 
the  occupant  of  the  papal  throne,  the  man  of  sin, 
possesses  this  prerogative  of  God,  and  cannot  err. 
Can  anything  be  more  presumptuous  and  blasphe- 
mous ?  Is  not  this  the  voice  of  the  great  words  which 
the  horn  spake  ?  and  is  not  this  power  ripe  for  the 
burning  flame,  and  near  its  end  ? 

VERSE  13.  I  saw  in  the  night  visions,  and,  behold,  one 
like  the  Son  of  man  came  with  the  clouds  of  heaven,  and 
came  to  the  Ancient  of  Days,  and  they  brought  him  near 
before  him.  14.  And  there  was  given  him  dominion,  and 
glory,  and  a  kingdom,  that  all  people,  nations,  and  lan- 
guages, should  serve  him  :  his  dominion  is  an  everlasting 
dominion,  which  shall  not  pass  away,  and  his  kingdom  that 
which  shall  not  be  destroyed. 


The  scene  here  described  is  not  the  second  advent 
of  Christ  to  this  earth,  unless  the  Ancient  of  Days 


is  on  this  earth ;  for  it  is  a  coming  to  the  Ancient 


of  Days.  There  in  the  presence  of  the  Ancient  of 
Days  a  kingdom,  dominion,  and  glory,  are  given 
him.  The  Son  of  man  receives  his  kingdom  before 


158  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

his  return  to  this  earth.  See  Luke  19  : 10—12,  and 
onward.  This  is  a  scene,  therefore,  which  transpires 
in  the  heavenly  temple,  and  is  closely  connected 
with  that  brought  to  view  in  verses  9  and  10.  He 
receives  the  kingdom  at  the  close  of  his  priestly 
work  in  the  sanctuary.  The  people,  nations,  and 
languages,  that  shall  serve  him  are  the  nations  of 
the  saved,  B,ev.  21  :  24,  not  the  wicked  nations  of 
the  earth ;  for  these  are  dashed  in  pieces  at  the  sec- 
ond advent.  Some  out  of  all  the  nations,  tribes, 
and  kindreds  of  the  earth  will  find  themselves  at 
last  in  the  kingdom  of  God,  to  serve  him  there  with 
joy  and  gladness  forever  and  ever. 

VEBSE  15.  I,  Daniel,  was  grieved  in  my  spirit  in  the  midst 
of  my  body,  and  the  visions  of  my  head  troubled  me.  16.  I 
came  near  unto  one  of  them  that  stood  by,  and  asked  him 
the  truth  of  all  this.  So  he  told  me,  and  made  me  know  the 
interpretation  of  the  things.  17.  These  great  beasts,  which 
are  four,  are  four  kings,  which  shall  arise  out  of  the  earth. 
18.  But  the  saints  of  the  Most  High  shall  take  the  kingdom, 
and  possess  the  kingdom  forever,  even  for  ever  and  ever. 

No  less  anxious  should  we  be  than  was  Daniel,  to 
understand  the  truth  of  all  this.  And  whenever 
we  inquire  with  equal  sincerity  of  heart,  we  shall 
find  the  Lord  no  less  ready  now,  than  in  the  days 
of  the  prophet,  to  lead  to  a  correct  knowledge  of 
these  important  truths.  The  beasts,  and  the  king- 
doms which  they  represent,  have  already  been  ex- 
plained. We  have  followed  the  prophet  down 
through  the  course  of  events  even  to  the  complete 
destruction  of  the  fourth  and  last  beast,  the  final 


(JM APT  Eli   VII,  VERSES  15-20.  159 

subversion  of  all  earthly  governments.  What  next  ? 
Verse  18  tells  us :  "  The  saints  shall  take  the  king- 
dom." The  saints !  those  of  all  others  held  in  low 
esteem  in  this  world,  despised,  reproached,  perse- 
cuted, cast  out ;  those  who  were  considered  the  least 
likely  of  all  men  ever  to  realize  their  hopes ;  these 
shall  take  the  kingdom  and  possess  it  forever.  The 
usurpation  and  misrule  of  the  wicked  shall  come  to 
an  end.  The  forfeited  inheritance  shall  be  re- 
deemed. Peace  shall  be  restored  to  its  distracted 
borders,  and  righteousness  shall  reign  over  all  the 
fair  expanse  of  the  renovated  earth. 

VERSE  19.  Then  I  would  know  the  truth  of  the  fourth 
beast,  which  was  diverse  from  all  the  others,  exceeding 
dreadful,  whose  teeth  were  of  iron,  and  his  nails  of  brass  ; 
which  devoured,  brake  in  pieces,  and  stamped  the  residue 
with  his  feet ;  20  ;  and  of  the  ten  horns  that  were  in  his  head, 
and  of  the  other  which  came  up,  and  before  whom  three  fell ; 
even  of  that  horn  that  had  eyes,  and  a  mouth  that  spake 
very  great  tilings,  whose  look  was  more  stout  than  his  fellows. 

Of  the  first  three  beasts  of  this  series,  Daniel 
had  so  clear  an  understanding,  that  he  had  no 
trouble  in  reference  to  them.  But  he  was  aston- 
ished at  this  fourth  beast,  so  unnatural  and  dread- 
ful; for  the  farther  we  come  down  the  stream  of 
time,  the  farther  it  is  necessary  to  depart  from 
nature  in  forming  symbols  to  accurately  represent 
the  degenerating  governments  of  earth.  The  lion 
is  a  production  of  nature;  but  it  must  have  the  un- 
natural addition  of  two  wings  to  represent  the 
kingdom  of  Babylon.  The  bear  we  also  find  in 


THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 


nature  ;  but  as  a  symbol  of  Medo-Persia,  an  unnat- 
ural ferocity  must  be  denoted  by  the  insertion  of 
three  ribs  into  its  mouth.  So  the  leopard  is  a  beast 
of  nature  ;  but  to  fitly  represent  Grecia  there  is  a 
departure  from  nature  in  respect  to  'wings,  and  the 
number  of  heads.  But  nature  furnishes  no  symbol 
which  can  fitly  illustrate  the  fourth  kingdom.  A 
beast,  the  likeness  of  which  never  was  seen,  is 
taken  ;  a  beast  dreadful  and  terrible,  with  nails  of 
brass,  and  teeth  of  iron,  so  cruel,  rapacious  and 
fierce,  that  from  mere  love  of  oppression,  it  de- 
voured, and  brake  in  pieces,  and  trampled  its  vic- 
tims beneath  its  feet. 

Wonderful  was  all  this  to  the  prophet,  but  some- 
thing still  more  wonderful  appears.  A  little  horn 
comes  up,  and,  true  to  the  nature  of  the  beast  from 
which  it  springs,  thrusts  aside  three  of  its  fellows  ; 
and  lo!  the  horn  has  eyes,  not  the  uncultivated 
eyes  of  the  brute,  but  the  keen,  shrewd,  intelligent 
eyes  of  a  man  ;  and  stranger  yet,  it  has  a  mouth. 
and  with  that  mouth  it  utters  proud  sayings,  and 
puts  forth  preposterous  and  arrogant  claims.  No 
wonder  the  prophet  made  special  inquiry  respect- 
ing this  monster,  so  unearthly  in  its  instincts,  and 
so  fiendish  in  its  works  and  ways.  In  the  follow- 
ing verses  some  specifications  are  given  respecting 
the  little  horn,  which  enable  the  student  of  proph- 
ecy to  make  an  application  of  this  symbol,  without 
danger  of  mistake  :  — 

VERSE  21.  I  beheld,  and  the  same  horn  made  Avar  with 
the  saints,  and  prevailed  against  them  ;  22  ;  Until  the  An- 


CHAPTER  VII,  VERSES  21,  22. 


cient  of  Days  came,  and  judgment  was  given  to  the  saints  of 
the  Most  High  ;  and  the  time  came  that  the  saints  possessed 
the  kingdom. 

The  wonderful  wrath  of  this  little  horn  against 
the  saints  particularly  attracted  the  attention  of 
Daniel.  The  rise  of  the  ten  horns,  or  the  division 
of  Rome  into  ten  kingdoms,  between  the  years  A. 
D.  356  and  483,  has  already  been  noticed.  See  on 
chapter  2  :  41.  As  these  horns  denote  kingdoms, 
the  little  horn  must  denote  a  kingdom  also,  but 
not  of  the  same  nature,  because  it  was  diverse  from 
the  others.  They  were  political  kingdoms.  And 
now  we  have  but  to  inquire  if  any  kingdom  has 
arisen  among  the  ten  kingdoms  of  the  Roman  Em- 
pire, since  A.  p.  483,  and  yet  diverse  from  them  all  ; 
and  if  so,  what  one  ?  The  answer  is,  The  spiritual 
kingdom  of  the  papacy.  This  answers  to  the  sym- 
bol in  every  particular,  as  is  easily  proved;  and 
nothing  else  will  do  it.  See  the  specifications  more 
particularly  mentioned  in  verse  23. 

Daniel  beheld  this  horn  making  war  upon  the 
saints.  Has  such  a  war  been  waged  by  the  pa- 
pacy ?  Fifty  millions  of  martyrs,  with  a  voice  like 
the  sound  of  many  waters,  answer,  Yes.  Witness 
the  cruel  persecutions  of  the  Waldenses,  the  Al- 
bigenses,  and  Protestants  in  general,  by  the  papal 
power.  It  is  stated,  on  good  authority,  that  the 
persecutions,  massacres,  and  religious  wars,  excited 
by  the  church  and  bishop  of  Rome,  have  occasioned 
the  shedding  of  far  more  blood  of  the  saints  of  the 
Most  High,  than  all  the  enmity,  hostility,  and  per- 

il 


1(52  THOUGHTS  ON  DA  KIEL. 

seditions,  of  professed  heathens  from   the  founda- 
tion of  the  world. 

In  verse  22,  three  consecutive  events  seem  to  be 
brought  to  view.  Daniel,  looking  onward  from  the 
time  when  the  little  horn  was  in  the  height  of  its 
power,  to  the  full  end  of  the  long  contest  between 
the  saints  and  Satan  with  all  his  agents,  notes  three 
prominent  events  that  stand  as  mile-posts  along  the 
way :  1.  The  coming  of  the  Ancient  of  Days  ;  that 
is,  the  position  which  Jehovah  takes  in  the  opening 
of  the  Judgment  scene  described  in  verses  9, 10.  2. 
The  judgment  that  is  given  to  the  saints ;  that  is, 
the  time  when  the  saints  sit  with  Christ  in  judg- 
ment a  thousand  years,  following  the  first  resurrec- 
tion, Rev.  20  : 1-4,  apportioning  to  the  wicked  the 
punishment  due  to  their  sins.  Then  the  martyrs 
will  sit  in  judgment  upon  the  great  antichristian, 
persecuting  power,  which,  in  the  days  of  their  trial, 
hunted  them  like  the  beasts  of  the  desert,  and 
poured  out  their  blood  like  water.  3.  The  time 
that  the  saints  possess  the  kingdom  ;  that  is,  the 
time  of  their  entrance  upon  the  possession  of  the 
new  earth.  Then  the  last  vestige  of  the  curse,  of 
sin,  and  of  sinners,  root  and  branch,  will  have  been 
wiped  away,  and  the  territory  so  long  misruled  by 
the  wicked  powers  of  earth,  the  enemies  of  God's 
people,  will  be  taken  by  the  righteous,  to  be  held 
by  them  forever  and  ever. 

VERSE  23.  Thus  he  said,  The  fourth  beast  shall  be  the 
fourth  kingdom  upon  earth,  which  shall  be  diverse  from  all 
kingdoms,  and  shall  devour  the  whole  earth,  and  shall  tread 


CHAPTER   VII,    VERSES  2S-26.  1(J3 

it  down,  and  break  it  in  pieces.  24.  And  the  ten  horns  out 
of  this  kingdom  are  ten  kings  that  shall  arise  ;  and  another 
shall  rise  after  them  ;  and  he  shall  be  diverse  from  the  ihst, 
and  he  shall  subdue  three  kings.  25.  And  he  shall  spe.-tk 
great  words  against  the  Most  High,  and  shall  wear  out  the 
saints  of  the  Most  High,  and  think  to  ehange  timos  and  laws : 
and  they  shall  be  given  into  his  hand  until  a  time  and  times 
and  the  dividing  of  time.  26.  But  the  judgment  shall  sit, 
and  they  shall  take  away  his  dominion,  to  consume  and  to 
destroy  it  unto  the  end. 

We  have  here  further  particulars  respecting  the 
fourth  beast,  and  the  little  horn. 

Perhaps  enough  has  already  been  said  respecting 
the  fourth  beast  (Rome),  and  the  ten  horns  or  ten 
kingdoms  which  arose  therefrom.  The  little  horn 
now  more  particularly  demands  attention.  As 
stated  on  verse  8,  we  find  the  fulfillment  of  the 
prophecy  concerning  this  horn,  in  the  rise  and  work 
of  the  papacy.  It  is  a  matter  of  both  interest  and 
importance,  therefore,  to  inquire  into  the  causes 
which  resulted  in  the  development  of  this  anti- 
christian  power. 

The  first  pastors,  or  bishops,  of  Rome  enjoyed  a 
respect  proportionate  to  the  rank  of  the  city  in 
which  they  resided  ;  and  for  the  first  few  centuries 
of  the  Christian  era,  Rome  was  the  largest,  richest, 
and  most  powerful  city  in  the  world.  It  was  the 
seat  of  empire,  the  capital  of  the  nations.  "  All  the 
inhabitants  of  the  earth  belong  to  her,"  said  Julian  ; 
and  Claudian  declared  her  to  be  "  the  fountain  of 
laws."  "  If  Rome  is  the  queen  of  cities,  why  should 
not  her  pastor  be  the  king  of  bishops  ? "  was  the 


164  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

reasoning  these  Roman  pastors  adopted.  "Why 
should  not  the  Roman  church  be  the  mother  of 
Christendom  ?  Why  should  not  all  nations  be  her 
children,  and  her  authority  their  sovereign  law? 
It  was  easy,"  says  D'  Aubigne,  from  whom  we 
quote  these  words  (Hist.  Ref.,  vol.  1,  chap.  1),  "for 
the  ambitious  heart  of  man  to  reason  thus.  Am- 
bitious Rome  did  so." 

The  bishops  in  the  different  parts  of  the  Roman 
empire  felt  a  pleasure  in  yielding  to  the  bishop  of 
Rome  some  portion  of  that  honor  which  Rome,  as 
the  queen  city,  received  from  the  nations  of  the 
earth.  There  was  originally  no  dependence  implied 
in  the  honor  thus  paid.  "  But,"  continues  D'Au- 
bigne,  "  usurped  power  increases  like  an  avalanche. 
Admonitions  at  first  simply  fraternal,  soon  became 
absolute  commands  in  the  mouth  of  the  pontiff. 
The  western  bishops  favored  this  encroachment  of 
the  Roman  pastors,  either  from  jealousy  of  the 
eastern  bishops,  or  because  they  preferred  submit- 
ting to  the  supremacy  of  a  pope  rather  than  to  the 
dominion  of  a  temporal  power." 

Such  were  the  influences  clustering  around  the 
bishop  of  Rome,  and  thus  was  everything  tending 
toward  his  speedy  elevation  to  the  supreme  spiritual 
throne  of  Christendom.  But  the  fourth  century 
was  destined  to  witness  an  obstacle  thrown  across 
the  path  of  this  ambitious  dream.  Arius,  parish 
priest  of  the  oldest  and  principal  church  of  Alex- 
andria, sprung  his  doctrine  upon  the  world,  occa- 
sioning so  fierce  a  controversy  in  the  Christian 


CHAPTER  VII,   VERSES  2S-S6. 


165 


church  that  a  general  council  was  called  at  Nicsea, 
by  the  Emperor  Constantine,  in  A.  D.  325,  to  con- 
sider and  adjust  it.  Arius  maintained  "that  the 
Son  was  totally  and  essentially  distinct  from  the 
Father ;  that  he  was  the  first  and  noblest  of  those 
beings  whom  the  Father  had  created  out  of  nothing, 
the  instrument  by  whose  subordinate  operation  the 
Almighty  Father  formed  the  universe,  and  there- 
fore inferior  to  the  Father  both  in  nature  and  dig- 
nity." This  opinion  was  condemned  by  the  coun- 
cil, which  decreed  that  Christ  was  of  one  and  the 
same  substance  with  the  Father.  Hereupon  Arius 
was  banished  to  Illyria,  and  his  followers  were 
compelled  to  give  their  assent  to  the  creed  composed 
on  that  occasion. — Mosheim,  cent.  4,  part  2,  chap.  5. 
Stanley,  Hist,  of  Eastern  Church,  p.  239. 

The  controversy  itself,  however,  was  not  to  be 
disposed  of  in  this  summary  manner,  but  continued 
for  ages  to  agitate  the  Christian  world,  the  Arians 
everywhere  becoming  the  bitter  enemies  of  the  pope 
and  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church.  From  these 
facts  it  is  evident  that  the  spread  of  Arianism 
would  check  the  influence  of  the  Catholics;  and 
the  possession  of  Rome  and  Italy  by  a  people  of  the 
Arian  persuasion,  would  be  fatal  to  the  supremacy 
of  a  Catholic  bishop.  But  the  prophecy  had  de- 
clared that  this  horn  would  rise  to  supreme  power, 
and  that  in  reaching  this  position  it  would 

Subdue  three  kings.  Some  difference  of  opinion 
has  existed  in  regard  to  the  particular  powers 
which  were  overthrown  in  the  interest  of  the  pa- 


166 


THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 


pacy,  in  reference  to  which  the  following  remark 
by  Albert  Barnes  seems  very  pertinent :  "  In  the 
confusion  that  existed  on  the  breaking  up  of  the 
Roman  empire,  and  the  imperfect  accounts  of  the 
transactions  which  occurred  in  the  rise  of  the  papal 
power,  it  would  not  be  wonderful  if  it  should  be 
difficult  to  find  events  distinctly  recorded  that 
would  be  in  all  respects  an  accurate  and  absolute 
fulfillment  of  the  vision.  Yet  it  is  possible  to  make 
out  the  fulfillment  of  this  with  a  good  degree  of 
certainty  in  the  history  of  the  papacy." — Notes  on 
Dan.  7. 

Mr.  Mede  supposed  the  three  kingdoms  plucked 
up  to  have  been  the  Greeks,  the  Lombards,  and  the 
Franks ;  and  Sir  Isaac  Newton  supposes  they  were 
the  Exarchate  of  Ravenna,  the  Lombards,  and  the 
Senate  and  the  Dukedom  of  Rome.  Bishop  New- 
ton (Dissertation  on  the  Prophecies,  pp.  217,  218) 
states  some  serious  objections  to  both  these  schemes. 
The  Franks  could  not  have  been  one  of  these  king- 
doms; for  they  were  never  plucked  up  before 
the  papacy.  The  Lombards  could  not  have  been 
one;  for  they  were  never  made  subject  to  the 
popes.  Says  Barnes,  "  I  do  not  find,  indeed,  that 
the  kingdom  of  the  Lombards  was,  as  is  commonly 
stated,  among  the  number  of  the  temporal  sov- 
ereignties that  became  subject  to  the  authority  of 
the  popes."  And  the  Senate  and  Dukedom  of 
Rome  could  not  have  been  one;  for  they,  as  such,, 
never  constituted  one  of  the  ten  kingdoms,  three  of 
which  were  to  be  plucked  up  before  the  little  horn. 


CHAPTER   VII,    VERSES  2S-26. 


But  we  apprehend  that  the  chief  difficulty  in  the 
application  made  by  these  eminent  commentators, 
lay  in  the  fact  that  they  supposed  that  the  prophecy 
respecting  the  exaltation  of  the  papacy,  was  not, 
and  could  not  have  been,  fulfilled,  till  the  pope  be- 
came a  temporal  prince  ;  and  hence  they  sought  to 
find  an  accomplishment  of  the  prophecy  in  the 
events  which  led  to  the  pope's  temporal  sovereignty. 
Whereas  we  think  the  prophecy  of  verses  24,  25,  re- 
fere  not  to  his  civil  power,  but  to  his  power  to  dom- 
ineer over  the  minds  and  consciences  of  men;  that 
the  pope  reached  this  position,  as  will  hereafter 
appear,  in  A.  D.  538  ;  arid  that  the  plucking  up  of 
the  three  horns  took  place  before  this,  and  to  make 
way  for  this  very  exaltation  to  spiritual  dominion. 
The.  insuperable  difficulty  in  the  way  of  all  attempts 
to  apply  the  prophecy  to  the  Lombards  and  the 
other  powers  named  above  is,  that  they  come  alto- 
gether too  late  in  point  of  time  ;  for  the  prophecy 
deals  with  the  arrogant  efforts  of  the  Roman  pon- 
tiff to  gain  power,  not  with  his  endeavors  to  oppress 
and  humble  the  nations  after  he  had  secured  the 
supremacy.  - 

The  position  is  here  confidently  taken  that  the 
three  powers,  or  horns,  plucked  up  before  the  pa- 
pacy, were  the  Heruli,  the  Vandals,  and  the  Ostro- 
goths ;  and  this  position  rests  upon  the  following 
statements  of  historians  :  — 

Odoacer,  the  leader  of  the  Heruli,  was  the  first 
of  the  barbarians  who  reigned  over  the  Romans. 
He  took  the  throne  of  Italy,  according  to  Gibbon 


168  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

(Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Roman  Empire,  vol.  3,  pp. 
510, 515),  in  476.  Of  his  religious  belief  Gibbon  (ib., 
516)  says,  "  Like  the  rest  of  the  barbarians,  he  had 
been  instructed  in  the  Arian  heresy ;  but  he  revered 
the  monastic  and  episcopal  characters,  and  the  si- 
lence of  the  Catholics  attests  the  toleration  which 
they  enjoyed." 

Again  he  says  (p.  547),  "  The  Ostrogoths,  the 
Burdundians,  the  Suevi,  and  the  Vandals,  who  had 
listened  to  the  eloquence  of  the  Latin  clergy,  pre- 
ferred the  more  intelligible  lessons  of  their  domestic 
teachers ;  and  Arianism  was  adopted  as  the  national 
faith  of  the  warlike  converts  who  were  seated  on 
the  ruins  of  the  Western  empire.  This  irreconcil- 
able difference  of  religion  was  a  perpetual  source  of 
jealousy  and  hatred ;  and  the  reproach  of  Barba- 
rian was  embittered  by  the  more  odious  epithet  of 
Heretic.  The  heroes  of  the  North  who  had  sub- 
mitted, with  some  reluctance,  to  believe  that  all 
their  ancestors  were  in  hell,  were  astonished  and  ex- 
asperated to  learn  that  they  themselves  had  only 
changed  the  mode  of  their  eternal  condemnation." 

The  reader  is  requested  to  consider  carefully  a 
few  more  historical  statements  which  throw  some 
light  on  the  situation  at  this  time.  Stanley  (His- 
tory of  the  Eastern  Church,  p.  151)  says:  "The 
whole  of  the  vast  Gothic  population  which  de- 
scended on  the  Roman  empire,  so  far  as  it  was 
Christian  at  all,  held  to  the  faith  of  the  Alexan- 
drian heretic.  Our  first  Teutonic  version  of  the 
Scriptures  was  by  an  Arian  missionary,  Ulfilas. 


CHAPTER  VII,   VERSES  2S-26.  169 

The  first  conqueror  of  Rome,  Alaric,  the  first  con- 
queror of  Africa,  Genseric,  were  Arians.  Theodoric, 
the  great  king  of  Italy,  and  hero  of  the  Nibe- 
lungen  Lied,  was  an  Arian.  The  vacant  place  in 
his  massive  tomb  at  Ravenna  is  a  witness  of  the 
vengeance  which  the  Orthodox  took  on  his  memory, 
when,  in  their  triumph,  they  tore  down  the  por- 
phyry vase  in  which  his  Arian  subjects  had  en- 
shrined his  ashes." 

Ranke,  in  his  History  of  the  Popes  (London  ed. 
1871),  vol.  1,  p.  9,  says:  "But  she  [the  church]  fell, 
as  was  inevitable,  into  many  embarrassments,  and 
found  herself  in  an  entirely  altered  condition.  A 
pagan  people  took  possession  of  Britain;  Arian 
kings  seized  the  greater  part  of  the  remaining 
West ;  while  the  Lombards,  long  attached  to  Arian- 
ism,  and,  as  neighbors,  most  dangerous  and  hostile, 
established  a  powerful  sovereignty  before  the  very 
gates  of  Rome.  The  Roman  Bishops,  meanwhile, 
beset  on  all  sides,  exerted  themselves  with  all  the 
prudence  and  pertinacity  which  have  remained 
their  peculiar  attributes,  to  regain  the  mastery — at 
least  in  their  patriarchal  diocese." 

Machiavelli,  in  his  History  of  Florence,  p.  14, 
says :  "  Nearly  all  the  wars  which  the  northern  bar- 
barians carried  on  in  Italy,  it  may  be  here  remarked, 
were  occasioned  by  the  pontiffs  ;  and  the  hordes  with 
which  the  country  was  inundated,  were  generally 
called  in  by  them." 

These  extracts  give  us  a  general  view  of  the 
state  of  affairs  at  this  time,  and  show  us  that  though 


r~ 

170  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 


the  hands  of  the  Roman  pontiffs  might  not  be  vis- 
ibly manifest  in  the  movements  upon  the  political 
board,  they  constituted  the  power  working  assidu- 
ously behind  the  scenes  to  secure  their  own  pur- 
poses. The  relation  which  these  Arian  kings  sus- 
tained to  the  pope,  from  which  we  can  see  the  neces- 
sity of  their  being  overthrown  to  make  way  for  pa- 
pal supremacy,  is  shown  in  the  following  testimony 
from  Mosheim,  given  in  his  History  of  the  Church, 
cent.  6,  part  2,  chap.  2,  sec.  2 : — 

"  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  certain,  from  a  variety 
of  the  most  authentic  records,  that  both  the  emper- 
ors and  the  nations  in  general  were  far  from  being 
disposed  to  bear  with  patience  the  yoke  of  servi- 
tude which  the  popes  were  imposing  upon  the 
Christian  church.  The  Gothic  princes  set  bounds 
to  the  power  of  those  arrogant  prelates  in  Italy, 
permitted  none  to  be  raised  to  the  pontificate  with- 
out their  approbation,  and  reserved  to  themselves 
the  right  of  judging  of  the  legality  of  every  new 
election." 

An  instance  in  proof  of  this  statement  occurs  in 
the  history  of  Odoacer,  the  first  Arian  king  above 
mentioned,  as  related  by  Bower  in  his  History  of 
the  Popes,  vol.  1,  p.  271.  When,  on  the  death  of 
Pope  SimpHcius,  A.  D.  483,  the  clergy  arid  people 
had  assembled  for  the  election  of  a  new  pope,  sud- 
denly Basilius,  prtefectus  praetorio,  and  lieutenant  of 
King  Odoacer,  appeared  in  the  assembly,  expressed 
his  surprise  that  any  such  work  as  appointing  a  suc- 
cessor to  the  deceased  pope  should  be  undertaken 


CHAPTER   VII,    VERSES    23-26. 


without  him,  in  the  name  of  the  king  declared  all 
that  had  been  done  null  and  void,  and  ordered  the 
election  to  be  begun  anew.  The  horn  which  exer- 
cised such  a  restrictive  power  over  the  papal  pontiff 
must  certainly  be  taken  out  of  the  way  before  the 
pope  could  reach  the  predicted  supremacy. 

Meanwhile,  Zeno,  the  emperor  of  the  East,  and 
friend  of  the  pope,  was  anxious  to  drive  Odoacer 
out  of  Italy  (Machiavelli,  p.  6),  a  movement  which 
he  soon  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  accomplished 
without  trouble  to  himself,  in  the  following  manner  : 
Theodoric  had  come  to  the  throne  of  the  Ostrogothic 
kingdom  in  Moesia  and  Pannonia.  He,  being  on 
friendly  terms  with  Zeno,  wrote  him,  stating  that  it 
was  impossible  for  him  to  restrain  his  Goths  within 
the  impoverished  province  of  Pannonia,  and  asking 
his  permission  to  lead  them  to  some  more  favorable 
region  which  they  might  conquer  and  possess.  Zeno 
gave  him  permission  to  march  against  Odoacer,  and 
take  possession  of  Italy.  Accordingly,  after  a  three 
years'  war,  the  Herulian  kingdom  in  Italy  was 
overthrown,  Odoacer  was  treacherously  slain,  and 
Theodorie  established  his  Ostrogoths  in  the  Italian 
peninsula.  As  already  stated,  he  was  an  Arian,  and 
the  law  of  Odoacer,  subjecting  the  election  of  the 
pope  to  the  approval  of  the  king,  was  still  retained. 

The  following  incident  will  show  how  completely 
the  papacy  was  in  subjection  to  his  power.  The 
Catholics  in  the  East,  having  commenced  a  persecu- 
tion against  the  Arians  in  523,  Theodoric  summoned 
Pope  John  into  his  presence,  and  thus  addressed 


172  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

him:  "If  the  emperor  [Justin,  the  predecessor  of 
Justinian]  does  not  think  fit  to  revoke  the  edict 
which  he  has  lately  issued  against  those  of  my  per- 
suasion [that  is,  the  Arians],  it  is  my  firm  resolu- 
tion to  issue  the  like  edict  against  those  of  his  [that 
is,  the  Catholics] ;  and  to  see  it  everywhere  exe- 
cuted with  the  same  rigor.  Those  who  do  not  pro- 
fess the  faith  of  Nicsea  are  heretics  to  him,  and  those 
who  do  are  heretics  to  me.  Whatever  can  excuse 
or  justify  his  severity  to  the  former,  will  excuse 
and  justify  mine  to  the  latter.  But  the  emperor," 
continued  the  king,  "  has  none  about  him  who  dare 
freely  and  openly  speak  what  they  think,  or  to 
whom  he  would  hearken,  if  they  did.  But  the 
great  veneration  which  he  professes  for  your  See, 
leaves  no  room  to  doubt  but  he  would  hearken  to 
you.  I  will  therefore  have  you  to  repair  forthwith 
to  Constantinople,  and  there  to  remonstrate,  both 
in  my  name  and  your  own,  against  the  violent  meas- 
ures in  which  that  court  has  so  rashly  engaged.  It 
is  in  your  power  to  divert  the  emperor  from  them ; 
and  till  you  have,  nay,  till  the  Catholics  [this  name 
Theodoric  applies  to  the  Arians]  are  restored  to  the 
free  exercise  of  their  religion,  and  to  all  the  churches 
from  which  they  have  been  driven,  you  must  not 
think  of  returning  to  Italy." — Bowers  Hist,  of 
Popes,  vol.  1,  p.  325. 

The  pope  who  was  thus  peremptorily  ordered  not 
to  set  his  foot  again  upon  Italian  soil  until  he  had 
carried  out  the  will  of  the  king,  certainly  could  not 
hope  for  much  advancement  toward  any  kind  of 


CHAPTER  VII,    VERSES  2S-26.  173 

supremacy  till  that  power  was  taken  out  of  the  way. 
Baronius,  according  to  Bovver,  will  have  it  that  the 
pope  sacrificed  himself  on  this  occasion,  and  advised 
the  emperor  not  by  any  means  to  comply  with  the 
demand  the  king  had  sent  him.  But  Mr.  Bower 
thinks  this  inconsistent,  since  he  could  not,  he  says, 
"sacrifice  himself  without  sacrificing,  at  the  same 
time,  the  far  greater  part  of  the  innocent  Catholics 
in  the  West,  who  were  either  subject  to  King  Theo- 
doric,  or  to  other  Arian  princes,  in  alliance  with 
him"  It  is  certain  that  the  pope  and  the  other  em- 
bassadors  were  treated  with  severity  on  their  re- 
turn, which  Bower  explains  on  this  wise :  "  Others 
arraign  them  all  of  high  treason;  and  truly  the 
chief  men  of  Rome  were  suspected  at  this  very  time 
of  carrying  on  a  treasonable  correspondence  with 
the  court  of  Constantinople,  and  machinating  the 
ruin  of  the  Gothic  empire  in  Italy" — Id.  p.  326. 

The  feelings  of  the  papal  party  toward  Theodoric 
may  be  accurately  estimated,  according  to  a  quota- 
tion already  given,  by  the  vengeance  which  they 
took  on  his  memory,  when  they  tore  from  his 
massive  tomb  in  Ravenna  the  porphyry  vase  in 
which  his  Arian  subjects  had  enshrined  his  ashes. 
But  these  feelings  are  put  into  language  by  Baro- 
nius, who  inveighs  "  against  Theodoric  as  a  cruel  bar- 
barian, as  a  barbarous  tyrant,  as  an  impious  Arian." 
But  "  having  exaggerated  with  all  his  eloquence,  and 
bewailed  the  deplorable  condition  of  the  Roman 
Church  reduced  by  that  heretic  to  a  state  of  slavery, 
he  comforts  himself  in  the  end,  and  dries  up  his 


174  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

tears  with  the  pious  thought,  that  the  author  of 
such  a  calamity  died  soon  after,  and  was  eternally 
damned!" — Baronius  Annals,  A.  D.  526,  p.  116; 
Bower,  vol.  3,  p.  -328. 

While  the  Catholics  were  thus  feeling  the  re- 
straining power  of  an  Arian  king  in  Italy,  they 
were  suffering  a  violent  persecution  from  the  Arian 
Vandals  in  Africa. — Gibbon,  chap.  37,  sec.  2.  Elliot, 
in  his  Horse  Apocalypticse,  vol.  3,  p.  152,  note  3, 
says :  "  The  Vandal  kings  were  not  only  Arians, 
but  persecutors  of  the  Catholics ;  in  Sardinia  and 
Corsica  under  the  Roman  Episcopate,  we  may  pre- 
sume, as  well  as  in  Africa." 

Such  was  the  position  of  affairs  when,  in  533,  Jus- 
tinian entered  upon  his  Vandal  and  Gothic  wars. 
Wishing  to  secure  the  influence  of  the  pope  and  the 
Catholic  party,  he  issued  that  memorable  decree 
which  was  to  constitute  the  pope  the  head  of  all  the 
churches,  and  from  the  carrying  out  of  which  in 
538,  the  period  of  papal  supremacy  is  to  be  dated. 
And  whoever  will  read  the  history  of  the  African 
campaign,  533-4,  and  the  Italian  campaign,  534-8, 
will  notice  that  the  Catholics  everywhere  hailed  as 
deliverers  the  army  of  Belisarius,  the  general  of 
Justinian. 

The  testimony  of  D'Aubigne  (Reformation,  b.  1, 
chap.  1),  also  throws  light  upon  the  undercurrents 
which  gave  shape  to  outward  movements  in  these 
eventful  times.  He  says:  "Princes  whom  these 
stormy  times  often  shook  upon  their  thrones,  offered 
their  protection  if  Rome  would  in  its  turn  support 


CHAPTER   VII,    VERSES  23-86.  175 

them.  They  conceded  to  her  the  spiritual  authority, 
provided  she  would  make  a  return  in  secular  power. 
They  were  lavish  of  the  souls  of  men,  in  the  hope 
that  she  would  aid  them  against  their  enemies.  The 
power  of  the  hierarchy,  which  was  ascending,  and 
the  imperial  power,  which  was  declining,  leaned  thus 
one  upon  the  other,  and  by  this  alliance  accelerated 
their  twofold  destiny.  Rome  could  not  lose  by  it. 
An  edict  of  Theodosius  II.  and  of  Valentinian  III. 
proclaimed  the  Roman  bishop  'rector  of  the  whole 
church/  Justinian  published  a  similar  decree." 

But  no  decree  of  this  nature  could  be  carried  into 
effect  until  the  Arian  horns,  which  stood  in  its  way, 
were  plucked  up.  The  Vandals  fell  before  the  victo- 
rious arms  of  Belisarius  in  534  ;  and  the  Goths,  re- 
tiring, left  him  in  undisputed  possession  of  Rome  in 
538. — Gibbon's  Rome,  chap.  41. 

Procopius  relates  that  the  African  war  was  under- 
taken by  Justinian  for  the  relief  of  the  Christians 
(Catholics)  in  that  quarter ;  and  that  when  he  ex- 
pressed his  intention  in  this  respect,  the  prefect  of 
the  palace  came  very  near  dissuading  him  from  his 
purpose ;  but  a  dream  appeared  to  him,  in  which  he 
was  bidden  "  not  to  shrink  from  the  execution  of  his 
design ;  for  by  assisting  the  Christians  he  would 
overthrow  the  power  of  the  Vandals." — Evagrius 
Ecd.  Hist,  book  4,  chap.  16. 

Listen  again  to  Mosheim  :  "It  is  true  that  the 
Greeks  who  had  received  the  decrees  of  the  council  of 
Nice  [that  is,  the  Catholics],  persecuted  and  oppressed 
the  Arians  wherever  their  influence  and  authority 


176  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

could  reach ;  but  the  Nicenians,  in  their  turn,  were 
not  less  rigorously  treated  by  their  adversaries  [the 
Arians]  particularly  in  Africa  and  Italy,  where  they 
felt,  in  a  very  severe  manner,  the  weight  of  the 
Arian  power,  and  the  bitterness  of  hostile  resentment. 
The  triumphs  of  Arianism  were,  however,  transitory, 
and  its  prosperous  days  were  entirely  eclipsed,  when 
the  Vandals  were  driven  out  of  Africa,  and  the  Goths 
out  of  Italy,  by  the  arms  of  Justinian." — Mosheim's 
Church  Hist.,  cent.  6,  p.  2,  chap.  5,  sec.  3. 

Elliot,  in  his  Horse  Apocalypticse,  makes  two  enu- 
merations of  the  ten  kingdoms  which  arose  out  of 
the  Roman  empire,  varying  the  second  list  from  the 
first  according  to  the  changes  which  had  taken  place 
at  the  later  period  to  which  the  second  list  applies. 
His  first  list  differs  from  that  of  Machiavelli,  adopted 
by  Adventists,  only  in  that  he  puts  the  "  Allemans  " 
in  place  of  the  Huns,  and  the  Bavarians  in  place  of 
the  Lombards,  a  variation  which  can  be  easily  ac- 
counted for.  But  out  of  this  list  he  names  the  three 
that  were  plucked  up  before  the  papacy  in  these 
words  :  "  I  might  cite  three  that  were  eradicated 
from  before  the  pope,  out  of  the  list  first  given,  viz., 
the  Heruli  under  Odoacer,  the  Vandals,  and  the 
Ostrogoths"— Vol.  3, p.  152,  note  1. 

Although  he  prefers  the  second  list,  in  which  he 
puts  the  Lombards  instead  of  the  Heruli,  the  forego- 
ing is  good  testimony  that  if  we  make  the  enumera- 
tion of  the  ten  kingdoms  while  the  Heruli  were  a 
ruling  power,  they  were  one  of  the  horns  which 
were  plucked  up. 


CHAPTER   VII,    VERSES  23-2B.  177 

By  the  historical  testimony  above  cited,  we  think 
it  clearly  established  that  the  three  horns  plucked  up 
were  the  powers  named;  viz.,  the  Heruli  in  A.  D. 
493,  the  Vandals  hi  534,  and  the  Ostrogoths  in  538. 

1.  He  shall  speak  great  words  against  the  Most 
High.  Has  the  papacy  done  this  ?  Look  at  a  few 
of  his  self -assumed  titles  :  "  His  Holiness,"  "  Vicege- 
rent of  the  Son  of  God,"  "  Our  Lord  God,  the  Pope," 
"  Another  God  upon  earth,"  "  King  of  the  world," 
"King  of  kings,  and  Lord  of  lords."  Said  Pope 
Nicholas  to  the  emperor  Michael,  "  The  Pope,  who  is 
called  God  by  Constantine,  can  never  be  bound  or 
released  by  man  ;  for  God  cannot  be  judged  by 
man."  Is  there  need  of  bolder  blasphemy  than  this? 
Listen  also  to  the  adulation  the  popes  have  received 
from  their  followers  without  rebuke  :  A  Venetian 
prelate  in  the  fourth  session  of  the  Lateran,  ad- 
dressed the  pope  as  follows  :  "  Thou  art  our  Shep- 
herd, our  Physician,  in  short,  a  second  God  upon 
earth."  Another  bishop  called  him  "  the  lion  of  the 
tribe  of  Judah,  the  promised  Saviour."  Lord  An- 
thony Pucci,  in  the  fifth  Lateran,  said  to  the  pope, 
"  The  sight  of  thy  divine  majesty  does  not  a  little 
terrify  me;  for  I  am  not  ignorant  that  all  power 
both  in  Heaven  and  in  earth  is  given  unto  you; 
that  the  prophetic  saying  is  fulfilled  in  you,  *  All  the 
kings  of  the  earth  shall  worship  him,  and  nations 
shall  serve  him/"  See  Oswald's  "Kingdom  Which 
Shall  not  Be  Destroyed,"  pp.  97-99.  Again,  Dr. 
Clarke,  on  verse  25,  says  :  '"  He  shall  speak  as  if  he 
were  God.'  So  St.  Jerome  quotes  from  Symmachus. 

12 


178  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

To  none  can  this  apply  so  well  or  so  fully  as  to  the 
popes  of  Rome.  They  have  assumed  infallibility, 
which  belongs  only  to  God.  They  profess  to  for- 
give sins,  which  belongs  only  to  God.  They  profess 
to  open  and  shut  Heaven,  which  belongs  only  to 
God.  They  profess  to  be  higher  than  all  the  kings 
of  the  earth,  which  belongs  only  to  God.  And  they 
go  beyond  God  in  pretending  to  loose  whole  nations 
from  their  oath  of  allegiance  to  their  kings,  when 
such  kings  do  not  please  them.  And  they  go 
against  God,  when  they  give  indulgences  for  sin. 
This  is  the  worst  of  all  blasphemies." 

2.  And  shall  wear  out  the  saints  of  the  Most 
High.  Has  the  papacy  done  this  ?  For  the  mere 
information  of  any  student  of  church  history,  no  an- 
swer need  here  be  given.  All  know  that  for  long 
years  the  papal  church  has  pursued  its  relentless 
work  against  the  true  followers  of  God.  Chapter 
after  chapter  might  be  given,  would  our  limited 
space  permit.  Wars,  crusades,  massacres,  inquisi- 
tions, and  persecutions  of  all  kinds, — these  were  their 
weapons  of  extinction. 

Scott's  Church  History  says  :  "  No  computation 
can  reach  the  numbers  who  have  been  put  to  death, 
in  different  ways,  on  account  of  their  maintaining 
the  profession  of  the  gospel,  and  opposing  the  cor- 
ruptions of  the  church  of  Rome.  A  million  of  poor 
Waldenses  perished  in  France  ;  nine  hundred  thou- 
sand orthodox  Christians  were  slain  in  less  than 
thirty  years  after  the  institution  of  the  order  of  the 
Jesuits.  The  Duke  of  Alva  boasted  of  having  put 


CHAPTER  VII,    VERSES  28-26.  179 

. . 

to  death  in  the  Netherlands  thirty-six  thousand  by 
the  hand  of  the  common  executioner  during  the 
space  of  a  few  years.  The  Inquisition  destroyed,  by 
various  tortures,  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
within  thirty  years.  These  are  a  few  specimens, 
and  but  a  few  of  those  which  history  has  recorded. 
But  the  total  amount  will  never  be  known  till  the 
earth  shall  disclose  her  blood  and  no  more  cover  her 
slain." 

Commenting  upon  the  prophecy  that  the  little 
horn  should  "  wear  out  the  saints  of  the  Most  High," 
Barnes,  in  his  Notes  on  Daniel  7 : 25,  says  :  "  Can  any 
one  doubt  that  this  is  true  of  the  papacy  ?  The  In- 
quisition; the  persecutions  of  the  Waldenses;  the  rav- 
ages of  the  Duke  of  Alva  ;  the  f^res  of  Smithfield  ; 
the  tortures  at  Goa — indeed  the  whole  history  of 
the  papacy  may  be  appealed  to  in  proof  that  this  is 
applicable  to  that  power.  If  anything  could  have 
worn  out  the  saints  of  the  Most  High,  could  have 
cut  them  off  so  that  evangelical  religion  would  have 
become  extinct,  it  would  have  been  the  persecutions 
of  the  papal  power.  In  the  year  1208  a  crusade 
was  proclaimed  by  Pope  Innocent  III.  against  the 
Waldenses  and  Albigenses,  in  which  a  million  of 
men  perished.  From  the  beginning  of  the  order  of 
Jesuits,  in  the  year  1540  to  1580,  nine  hundred 
thousand  were  destroyed.  One  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  perished  by  the  Inquisition  in  thirty  years. 
In  the  Low  Countries  fifty  thousand  persons  were 
hanged,  beheaded,  burned,  and  buried  alive,  for  the 
crime  of  heresy,  within  the  space  of  thirty-eight 


180  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

years  from  the  edict  of  Charles  V.,  against  the 
Protestants,  to  the  peace  of  Gateau- Cam  bresis  in 
1559.  Eighteen  thousand  suffered  by  the  hand  of 
the  executioner,  in  the  space  of  five  years  and  a 
half,  during  the  administration  of  the  Duke  of  Alva. 
Indeed  the  slightest  acquaintance  with  the  history 
of  the  papacy,  will  convince  any  one  that  what  is 
here  said  of  '  making  war  with  the  saints '  (verse  21), 
and '  wearing  out  the  saints  of  the  Most  High '  (verse 
25),  is  strictly  applicable  to  that  power,  and  will  ac- 
curately describe  its  history."  See  Buck's  Theolog- 
ical Dictionary,  Art.,  Persecutions ;  Oswald's  King- 
dom, etc.,  pp.  107-133  ;  Dowling's  History  of  Ro- 
manism ;  Fox's  Book  of  Martyrs ;  Charlotte  Eliza- 
beth's Martyrology ;  The  Wars  of  the  Huguenots ; 
The  Great  Red  Dragon,  by  Anthony  Gavin,  for- 
merly one  of  the  Roman  Catholic  priests  of  Sara- 
gossa,  Spain  ;  Histories  of  the  Reformation,  etc. 

To  parry  the  force  of  this  damaging  testimony 
from  all  history,  papists  deny  that  the  church  has 
ever  persecuted  any  one;  it  has  been  the  secular 
power ;  the  church  has  only  passed  decision  upon 
the  question  of  heresy,  and  then  turned  the  offenders 
over  to  the  civil  power  to  be  dealt  with  according  to 
the  pleasure  of  the  secular  court.  The  impious  hy- 
pocrisy of  this  claim  is  transparent  enough  to  make 
it  an  absolute  insult  to  common  sense.  In  those 
days  of  persecution  what  was  the  secular  power  ? 
Simply  a  tool  in  the  hand  of  the  church  and  under 
its  control,  to  do  its  bloody  bidding.  And  when  the 
church  delivered  its  prisoners  to  the  executioners  to 


CHAPTER  VII,   VERSES  23-26.  181 

be  destroyed,  with  fiendish  mockery  it  made  use  of 
the  following  formula  :  "  And  we  do  leave  thee  to 
the  secular  arm,  and  to  the  power  of  the  secular 
court,  but  at  the  same  time  do  most  earnestly  be- 
seech that  court  so  to  moderate  its  sentence  as  not  to 
touch  thy  blood,  nor  to  put  thy  life  in  any  sort  of 
danger."  And  then,  as  intended,  the  unfortunate 
victims  of  popish  hate  were  immediately  executed. 
—Geddes'  Tracts  on  Popery.  View  of  the  Court  of 
Inquisition  in  Portugal,  p.  446.  Limborch,  vol. 
ii.,  p.  289. 

But  the  false  claims  of  papists  in  this  respect  have 
been  flatly  denied  and  disproved  by  one  of  their 
own  standard  writers,  Cardinal  Bellarmine,  who  was 
born  in  Tuscany  in  1542,  and  who,  after  his  death 
in  1621,  came  very  near  being  placed  in  the  cal- 
endar of  saints,  on  account  of  his  great  services  in 
behalf  of  popery.  This  man,  on  one  occasion,  under 
the  spur  of  controversy,  betrayed  himself  into  an 
admission  of  the  real  facts  in  the  case.  Luther  hav- 
ing said  that  the  church  (meaning  the  true  church) 
never  burned  heretics,  Bellarmine  understanding  it 
of  the  Romish  church,  made  answer  :  "  This  argu- 
ment proves  not  the  sentiment  but  the  ignorance  or 
impudence  of  Luther  ;  for  as  almost  an  infinite 
number,  were  either  burned  or  otherwise  put  to 
death,  Luther  either  did  not  know  it,  and  was  there- 
fore ignorant ;  or  if  he  knew  it,  he  was  convicted  of 
impudence  and  falsehood  ;  for  that  heretics  were 
often  burned  by  the  church  may  be  proved  by  ad- 
ducing a  few  from  many  examples." 


182  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

To  show  the  relation  of  the  secular  power  to  the 
church,  as  held  by  Romanists,  we  quote  the  answer 
of  the  same  writer  to  the  argument  that  the  only 
weapon  committed  to  the  church  is  "  the  sword  of 
the  Spirit,  which  is  the  word  of  God."  To  this  he 
replied:  "As  the  church  has  ecclesiastical  and  sec- 
ular princes,  who  are  her  two  arms ;  so  she  has  two 
swords,  the  spiritual  and  material ;  and  therefore 
when  her  right  hand  is  unable  to  convert  a  heretic 
with  the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  she  invokes  the  aid  of 
the  left  hand,  and  coerces  heretics  with  the  material 
sword."  In  answer  to  the  argument  that  the  apos- 
tles never  invoked  the  secular  arm  against  heretics, 
he  says,  "  The  apostles  did  it  not,  because  there  was 
no  Christian  prince  whom  they  could  call  on  for 
aid.  But  afterward,  in  Constantine's  time,  .... 
the  Church  called  in  the  aid  of  the  secular  arm." 
- — Dowling's  History  of  Romanism,  pp.  547,  548. 

In  corroboration  of  these  facts,  fifty  millions  of 
martyrs — this  is  the  lowest  computation  made  by 
any  historian — will  rise  up  in  the  resurrection,  as 
witnesses  against  her  bloody  work. 

Pagan  Rome  persecuted  relentlessly  the  Christian 
church ;  and  it  is  estimated  that  three  millions  of 
Christians  perished  in  the  first  three  centuries ;  yet 
it  is  said  that  the  primitive  Christians  prayed  for 
the  continuance  of  Imperial  Rome  ;  for  they  knew 
that  when  this  form  of  government  should  cease, 
another  far  worse  persecuting  power  would  arise, 
which  would  literally,  as  this  prophecy  declares, 
"wear  out  the  saints  of  the  Most  High."  Pagan 


CHAPTER   VII,   VERSES  23-26.  183 

Rome  could  slay  the  infants,  but  spare  the  mothers ; 
but  Papal  Rome  slew  both  mothers  and  infants  to- 
gether. No  age,  no  sex,  no  condition  in  life,  was 
exempt  from  her  relentless  rage.  "When  Herod 
died,"  says  a  forcible  writer,  "  he  went  down  to  the 
grave  with  infamy,  and  earth  had  one  murderer, 
one  persecutor,  less,  and  hell  one  victim  more.  0 
Rome !  what  will  not  be  thy  hell,  and  that  of  thy 
votaries,  when  thy  judgment  shall  have  come !" 

3.  And  shall  "  think  to  change  times  and  laws." 
What  laws  ?  and  whose  ?  Not  the  laws  of  other 
earthly  governments;  for  it  was  nothing  marvel- 
ous nor  strange  for  one  power  to  change  the  laws  of 
another,  whenever  it  could  bring  such  power  under 
its  dominion.  Not  human  laws  of  any  kind ;  for 
the  little  horn  had  power  to  change  these  so  far  as 
its  jurisdiction  extended  ;  but  the  times  and  laws  in 
question  were  such  as  this  power  should  only  think 
to  change,  but  not  be  able  to  change.  They  are 
the  laws  of  the  same  Being  to  whom  the  saints  be- 
long, whom  it  wears  out  with  persecution ;  namely, 
the  laws  of  the  Most  High.  And  has  the  papacy 
attempted  this  ?  Yes,  even  this.  It  has,  in  its  cat- 
echisms, expunged  the  second  commandment  of  the 
decalogue,  to  make  way  for  its  adoration  of  images. 
It  has  divided  the  tenth,  to  make  up  the  number 
ten.  And,  more  audacious  than  all !  it  has  taken 
hold  of  the  fourth  commandment,  torn  from  its 
place  the  Sabbath  of  Jehovah,  the  only  memorial 
of  the  great  God  ever  given  to  man,  and  erected  in 
its  place  a  rival  institution  to  serve  another  purpose. 


184  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

See  Catholic  catechisms,  and  the  work  entitled, 
"  Who  Changed  the  Sabbath  ? "  and  works  on  the 
Sabbath  and  Law,  published  at  the  office  of  the 
Review  and  Herald,  Battle  Creek,  Mich. 

4.  "  And  they  shall  be  given  unto  his  hands  un- 
til a  time  and  times  and  the  dividing  of  time. 
The  pronoun  "  they  "  embraces  the  saints,  the  times, 
and  the  laws  just  mentioned.  How  long  a  time 
were  they  to  be  given  into  the  hands  of  this  power  ? 
A  time,  as  we  have  seen  from  chapter  4 : 23,  is  one 
year ;  two  times,  the  least  that  could  be  denoted  by 
the  plural,  two  years,  and  the  dividing  of  time,  or 
half  a  time  (  Sept.,  ^///.au  ),  half  a  year.  Gesenius 
also  gives  "jSa,  Chald.  a  half.  Dan.  7 :  25."  We 
thus  have  three  years  and  a  half  for  the  continu- 
ance of  this  power.  The  Hebrew,  or  rather  the 
Chaldee,  word  for  time  in  the  text  before  us  is 
idddn,  pj? ,  which  Gesenius  defines  thus:  "  Time. 
Spec,  in  prophetic  language  for  a  year.  Dan.  7 : 
25,  \*y  h^  p^]  nJT"U?>  for  a  year,  also  two  years, 
and  half  a  year,  i.  e.,  for  three  years  and  a  half  ; 
comp.  Jos.  B.  J.  1.  1.  1."  We  must  now  consider 
that  we  are  in  the  midst  of  symbolic  prophecy; 
hence  this  measurement  is  not  literal,  but  prophetic. 
The  inquiry  then  arises,  How  long  a  period  is  de- 
noted by  the  three  years  and  a  half  of  prophetic 
time  ?  The  rule  given  us  in  the  Bible  is,  that  when 
a  day  is  used  as  a  symbol,  it  stands  for  a  year. 
Eze.  4:6;  Num.  14 :  34.  Under  the  Hebrew  word 
for  day,  or  yom,  Gesenius  has  this  remark :  "3. 
Sometimes  D'pj  [yamim]  marks  a  definite  space  of 


CHAPTER   VII,    VERSES  23-26.  185 

time,  viz.  a  year ;  as  also  Syr.  and  Chald.  j^#  [  id- 
dan]  denote  both  time  and  year;  and  as  in  Engl. 
several  words  signifying  time,  weight,  measure,  are 
likewise  used  to  denote  certain  specific  times, 
weights  and  measures."  The  ordinary  Jewish  year, 
which  must  be  used  as  the  basis  of  reckoning,  con- 
tained three  hundred  and  sixty  days.  Three  years 
and  a  half  contained  twelve  hundred  and  sixty 
days.  As  each  day  stands  for  a  year,  we  have 
twelve  hundred  and  sixty  years  for  the  continua- 
tion of  this  horn.  Did  the  papacy  possess  dominion 
that  length  of  time?  The  answer  again  is,  Yes. 
The  edict  of  the  emperor  Justinian,  dated  A.  D 
533,  made  the  bishop  of  Rome  the  head  of  all  the 
churches.  But  this  edict  could  not  go  into  effect  till 
the  Arian  Ostrgoths,  the  last  of  the  three  horns  that 
were  plucked  up  to  make  room  for  the  papacy,  were 
driven  from  Rome,  and  this  was  not  accomplished,  as 
already  shown,  till  A.  D.  538.  The  edict  would  have 
been  of  no  effect  had  this  latter  event  not  been  accom- 
plished ;  hence  from  this  latter  year  we  are  to  date, 
as  this  was  the  earliest  point  where  the  saints  were 
in  reality  in  the  hands  of  this  power.  From  this 
point  did  the  papacy  hold  supremacy  for  twelve 
hundred  and  sixty  years  ?  Exactly.  For  in  the 
year  1798,  Berthier,  a  French  general,  entered  Rome, 
proclaimed  a  Republic,  took  the  pope  prisoner,  and 
for  a  time  abolished  the  papacy.  It  has  never  since 
enjoyed  the  privileges  and  immunities  which  it  pos- 
sessed before.  Thus  again  this  power  fulfills  to  the 
very  letter,  the  specifications  of  the  prophecy,  which 


186  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

proves  beyond  question  that  the  application  is  cor- 
rect. 

Here  the  judgment,  a  judgment  like  other  na- 
tional judgments  of  which  the  Bible  speaks,  (see 
Acts  7 :  7,  etc.),  sat  upon  the  papacy.  Its  dominion 
was  taken  away,  that  is,  its  supremacy  was  broken, 
and  a  consuming  process  there  commenced  which  is 
to  continue  till  the  end  of  time.  Yet  the  papacy 
will  exist,  though  with  but  a  shadow  of  its  former 
prestige,  till  the  appearing  of  Christ,  to  be  consumed 
with  the  spirit  of  his  mouth,  and  destroyed  by  the 
brightness  of  his  coming. 

How  accurately  verse  26  has  been  fulfilled  since 
1798,  and  is  being  fulfilled  to-day,  is  evident  even 
to  the  casual  observer  of  passing  events.  This  is 
doubtless  to  be  understood  more  particularly  in  a 
national  sense.  Individuals  are  still  the  zealous 
devotees  of  that  church ;  but  everywhere  it  has 
lost  and  is  losing  national  recognition  and  support. 

VERSE  27.  And  the  kingdom  and  dominion,  and  the  great- 
ness of  the  kingdom  under  the  whole  heaven,  shall  be  given 
to  the  people  of  the  saints  of  the  Most  High,  whose  kingdom 
is  an  everlasting  kingdom,  and  all  dominions  shall  serve 
and  obey  him.  28.  Hitherto  is  the  end  of  the  matter.  As 
for  me  Daniel  my  cogitations  much  troubled  me,  and  my 
countenance  changed  in  me  ;  but  I  kept  the  matter  in  my 
heart. 

After  beholding  the  dark  and  desolate  picture  of 
papal  oppression  upon  the  church,  the  prophet  once 
more  turns  his  eyes  with  delight  upon  the  glorious 
period  of  the  saints'  rest,  when  they  shall  have  the 
kingdom  free  from  all  oppressive  powers,  in  ever- 


CHAPTER   VII,  VERSES  #7,  28.  187 

lasting  possession.  How  could  the  children  of  God 
keep  heart  in  this  present  evil  world,  amid  the  mis- 
rule and  oppression  of  the  governments  of  earth, 
and  the  abominations  that  are  done  in  the  land,  if 
they  could  not  look  forward  to  the  kingdom  of  Cod, 
and  the  return  of  their  Lord,  with  full  assurance 
that  the  promises  concerning  them  both,  shall  cer- 
tainly be  fulfilled,  and  that  speedily  ? 

NOTE  1. — Some  startling  events  relative  to  the  papacy,  fill- 
ing up  the  prophecies  uttered  in  this  chapter  concerning 
that  power,  have  taken  place  within  a  few  years  of  the  pres- 
ent time.  Commencing  in  1798,  where  the  great  national 
judgment  fell  upon  the  papacy,  what  have  been  the  chief 
characteristics  of  its  history  ?  Answer :  The  rapid  defection 
of  its  natural  supporters,  and  greater  assumptions  on  its  own 
part.  In  1844,  Judgment  of  another  kind  began  to  sit, 
namely,  the  investigative  Judgment,  in  the  Heavenly  sanct- 
uary, preparatory  to  the  coming  of  Christ.  Dec.  8,  1854, 
the  dogma  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  was  decreed  by  the 
pope.  July  21,  1870,  in  the  great  Ecumenical  Council  as- 
sembled at  Rome,  it  was  deliberately  decreed  by  a  vote  of 
538  against  2  that  the  pope  was  infallible.  In  the  same 
year,  Napoleon,  by  whose  bayonets  the  pope  was  kept  upon 
his  throne,  was  crushed  by  Prussia,  and  the  last  prop  was 
taken  from  under  the  papacy.  Then  Victor  Emmanuel, 
seeing  his  opportunity  to  carry  out  the  long-cherished  dream 
of  a  United  Italy,  seized  Rome  to  make  it  the  capital  of  his 
kingdom.  To  his  troops,  under  General  Cadorna,  Rome 
surrendered,  Sept.  20,  1870.  The  pope's  temporal  power  was 
thus  wholly  taken  away,  nevermore,  said  Victor  Emmanuel, 
to  be  restored  ;  and  the  pope  has  been  virtually  a  prisoner 
in  his  own  palace  since  that  time.  Because  of  the  great 
words  which  the  horn  uttered,  Daniel  saw  the  beast  de- 
stroyed and  given  to  the  burning  flame.  This  destruction  is 
tt>  take  place  at  the  second  coming  of  Christ  and  by  means 


188  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

of  that  event ;  for  the  man  of  sin  is  to  be  consumed  by  the 
spirit  of  Christ's  mouth,  and  destroyed  by  the  brightness  of 
his  coming.  2  Thess.  2  :  8.  What  words  could  be  more 
arrogant,  presumptuous,  blasphemous,  or  insulting  to  high 
Heaven,  than  the  deliberate  adoption  of  the  dogma  of  infal- 
libility, thus  clothing  a  mortal  man  with  the  prerogative  of 
the  Deity  ?  And  this  was  accomplished  by  papal  intrigue  and 
influence,  July  21, 1870.  Following  in  swift  succession,  the 
last  vestige  of  temporal  power  was  wrenched  from  his  grasp. 
It  was  because  of  these  words,  and  as  if  in  almost  immediate 
connection  with  them,  that  the  prophet  saw  this  power  given 
to  the  burning  flame.  His  dominion  was  to  be  consumed 
unto  the  end  ;  implying  that  when  his  powers  as  a  civil  ruler 
should  be  wholly  destroyed,  the  end  would  not  be  far  off. 
And  the  prophet  immediately  adds,  "  And  the  kingdom  and 
dominion,  and  the  greatness  of  the  kingdom  under  the 
whole  heaven  shall  be  given  to  the  people  of  the  saints  of 
the  Most  High."  All  has  now  been  fully  accomplished  ex- 
cept the  closing  scene.  Next  conies  the  last,  crowning,  fin- 
ishing act  in  the  drama,  when  the  beast  will  be  given 
to  the  burning  flame,  and  the  saints  of  the  Most  High 
take  the  kingdom. 

NOTE  2. — The  query  has  arisen  whether  the  judgment  of 
verse  26  may  not  refer  to  the  same  judgment  as  that  of 
verse  10,  the  investigative  Judgment,  which  commenced  in 
1844.  There  seems  to  be  no  serious  objection  to  this  view  ; 
for  while  it  is  true  that  the  dominion  of  the  papal  power  has 
been  waning  away  since  1708,  this  has  been  especially  mani- 
fest since  1844.  In  1848  the  pope  was  driven  from  his  cap- 
ital, and  in  1870  was  stripped  of  his  temporal  dominion. 
With  this  view,  the  necessity  of  accounting  for  two  kinds  of 
judgment  in  the  same  chapter  is  avoided. 


VISION  OF  THE   RAM,  HE-GOAT,  AND   LITTLE  HORN. 

"  WE  now  come  once  more,"  says  Dr.  Clarke,  "  to 
the  Hebrew,  the  Chaldee  part  of  the  book  being  fin- 
ished. As  the  Chaldeans  had  a  particular  interest 
both  in  the  history  and  prophecies  from  chap.  2  :  4, 
to  the  end  of  chap.  7,  the  whole  is  written  in  Chal- 
dee; but  as  the  prophecies  which  remain  concern 
times  posterior  to  the  Chaldean  monarchy,  and  prin- 
cipally relate  to  the  church  and  people  of  God  gen- 
erally, they  are  written  in  the  Hebrew  language, 
this  being  the  tongue  in  which  God  chose  to  reveal 
all  his  counsels  given  under  the  Old  Testament  rela- 
tive to  the  New." 

VERSE  1.  In  the  third  year  of  the  reign  of  king  Belshaz- 
zar  a  vision  appeared  unto  me,  even  unto  me  Daniel,  after 
that  which  appeared  unto  me  at  the  first. 

One  prominent  characteristic  of  the  sacred  writ- 
ings, and  one  which  should  forever  shield  them  from 
the  charge  of  being  works  of  fiction,  is  the  frankness 
and  freedom  with  which  the  writers  state  all  the  cir- 
cumstances connected  with  that  which  they  record. 
This  verse  states  the  time  when  the  vision  recorded 
in  this  chapter  was  given  to  Daniel.  The  first  year 
of  Belshazzar  is  set  down  as  B.  c.  555.  His  third 

(189) 


190  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

year,  in  which  this  vision  was  given,  would  conse- 
quently be  553.  If  Daniel,  as  is  supposed,  was 
about  twenty  years  of  age  when  he  was  carried  to 
Babylon,  in  the  first  year  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  B.  c. 
606,  he  was  at  this  time  about  seventy-three  years 
of  age.  The  vision  he  speaks  of  as  the  one  "  which 
appeared  unto  him  at  the  first,"  is  doubtless  the  vis- 
ion of  the  seventh  chapter,  which  he  had  in  the  first 
year  of  Belshazzar. 

VERSE  2.  And  I  saw  in  a  vision  ;  and  it  came  to  pass, 
when  I  saw,  that  I  was  at  Shushan  in  the  palace,  which  is  in 
the  province  of  Elam  ;  and  I  saw  in  a  vision,  and  1  was  by 
the  river  of  Ulai. 

As  verse  1  states  the  time  when,  this  verse  gives 
the  place  where,  the  vision  was  given.  Shushan,  as 
we  learn  from  Prideaiix,  was  the  metropolis  of  the 
province  of  Elam.  This  was  then  in  the  hands  of 
the  Babylonians,  and  there  the  king  of  Babylon  had 
a  royal  palace.  Daniel,  as  minister  of  State,  and 
employed  about  the  king's  business,  was  accordingly 
in  that  place.  About  three  years  after  this  time, 
Abradates,  viceroy  or  prince  of  Shushan,  revolted  to 
Cyrus,  and  the  province  was  joined  to  the  Modes 
and  Persians ;  so  that,  according  to  the  prophecy  of 
Isaiah,  21:2,  Elam  went  up  with  the  Medes  to  be- 
sieare  Babylon.  Under  the  Medes  and  Persians  it  re- 

o  «/ 

gained  its  liberties  which  it  had  been  deprived  of  by 
the  Babylonians,  according  to  the  prophecy  of  Jere- 
miah 49 : 39. 

VERSE  3.  Then  I  lifted  up  mine  eyes,  and  saw,  and,  be- 
hold, there  stood  before  the  river  a  ram  which  had  two 


CHAPTER   VIII,    VEItSES  3,  4. 


horns  ;  and  the  two  horns  were  high  ;  but  one  was  higher 
than  the  other,  and  the  higher  came  up  last.  4.  I  saw  the 
rum  pushing  westward,  and  northward,  and  southward;  so 
that  no  beasts  might  stand  before  him,  neither  was  there 
any  that  could  deliver  out  of  his  hand  ;  but  he  did  according 
to  his  will,  amd  became  great. 

In  verse  20,  an  interpretation  of  this  symbol  is 
given  us  in  plain  language  :  "  the  ram  which  thou 
sawest,  having  two  horns,  are  the  kings  of  Media  and 
Persia."  We  have  only  therefore  to  consider  how 
well  the  symbol  answers  to  the  power  in  question. 
The  two  horns  represented  the  two  nationalities  of 
which  the  empire  consisted.  The  higher  came  up 
last.  This  represented  the  Persian  element,  which, 
from  being  at  first  simply  an  ally  of  the  Medes,  came 
to  be  the  leading  division  of  the  empire.  The  differ- 
ent directions  in  which  the  ram  was  seen  pushing, 
denote  the  directions  in  which  the  Medes  and  Persians 
carried  their  conquests.  No  earthly  powers  could 
stand  before  them  while  they  were  marching  up  to 
the  exalted  position  to  which  the  providence  of  God 
had  pointed  them.  And  so  successfully  were  their 
conquests  prosecuted  that  in  the  days  of  Ahasuerus 
(Esth.  1  :  1),  the  Medo-Persian  kingdom  extended 
from  India  to  Ethiopia,  the  extremities  of  the  then 
known  world,  over  a  hundred  and  twenty-seven 
provinces.  The  prophecy  almost  seems  to  fall  short 
of  the  facts  as  stated  in  history  when  it  simply  says 
that  this  power  did  according  to  its  will,  and  became 
great. 

VERSE  5.  And  as  I  was  considering,  behold,  an  he-goat 
came  from  the  west  on  the  face  of  the  whole  earth,  and 


192  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

touched  not  the  ground  ;  and  the  goat  had  a  notable  horn 
between  his  eyes.  6.  And  he  came  to  the  ram  that  had  two 
horns,  which  I  had  seen  standing  before  the  river,  and  ran 
unto  him  in  the  fury  of  his  power.  7.  And  I  saw  him  come 
close  unto  the  ram,  and  he  was  moved  with  choler  against 
him,  and  smote  the  ram,  and  brake  his  two  horns  ;  and  there 
was  no  power  in  the  ram  to  stand  before  him,  but  he  cast 
him  down  to  the  ground,  and  stamped  upon  him  ;  and  there 
was  none  that  could  deliver  the  ram  out  of  his  hand. 

"As  I  was  considering,"  says  the  prophet ;  and  in 
this  he  sets  an  example  for  every  lover  of  the  truth, 
and  all  who  have  any  regard  for  things  higher  than 
the  objects  of  time  and  sense.  When  Moses  saw  the 
burning  bush,  he  said,  "  I  will  now  turn  aside  and 
see  this  great  sight."  But  how  few  are  willing  at 
the  present  time  to  turn  aside  from  their  pursuits  of 
business  or  pleasure,  to  consider  those  important 
themes  to  which  both  the  mercy  and  the  providence 
of  God  are  striving  to  call  their  attention. 

The  symbol  here  introduced  is  also  explained  by 
the  angel  to  Daniel.  Verse  21 :  "  And  the  rough 
goat  is  the  king  [or  kingdom]  of  Grecia."  Concern- 
ing the  fitness  of  this  symbol  to  the  Grecian  or  Mace- 
donian people,  Bishop  Newton  observes  that,  "  two 
hundred  years  before  the  time  of  Daniel,  they  were 
called  jEgcadae,  the  goat's  people  ;  the  origin  of  which 
name  is  said  to  be  as  follows:  Caranus,  their  first 
king,  going  with  a  multitude  of  Greeks  to  seek  a  new 
habitation  in  Macedonia,  was  advised  by  an  oracle  to 
take  the  goats  for  his  guide ;  and  afterward,  seeing 
a  herd  of  goats  flying  from  a  violent  storm,  he  fol- 
lowed them  to  Edessa,  and  there  fixed  the  seat  of  his 


PLATE  IV.— SYMBOLS  OF  DANIEL  VIII. 


CHAPTER   VIII,   VERSES  5-7. 


empire,  and  made  the  goats  his  ensigns  or  standards, 
and  called  the  place  jEge  or  jEgea,  the  goats'  town, 
and  the  people  ^Egeadse,  the  goats'  people  ;  names 
which  are  derived  from  dig,  <hyof,  a  goat.  The  city 
of  ^ge  or  jEgea,  was  the  usual  bury  ing-place  of  the 
Macedonian  kings  ;  and  in  reference  to  this  origin, 
Alexander  called  his  son  by  Roxana,  Alexander 
jEgus,  Alexander  the  goat.  All  this  shows  the  very 
great  propriety  of  the  symbol  here  used." 

The  goat  came  from  the  west  Grecia  lay  west 
of  Persia. 

"  On  the  face  of  the  whole  earth."  He  covered  all 
the  ground  as  he  passed  ;  that  is,  he  swept  every- 
thing before  him  ;  he  left  nothing  behind. 

He  "touched  not  the  ground."  Such  was  the 
speed  and  celerity  of  his  movements  that  he  did  not 
seem  to  touch  the  ground,  but  to  fly  from  point  to 
point  with  the  speed  of  the  wind  ;  the  same  feature 
is  brought  to  view  by  the  four  wings  of  the  leopard 
in  the  vision  of  chapter  7. 

The  notable  horn  between  his  eyes.  This  is  ex- 
plained in  verse  21  to  be  the  first  king  of  the  Mace- 
donian Empire.  This  king  was  Alexander  the  Great. 

Verses  6  and  7  give  a  concise  account  of  the  over- 
throw of  the  Persian  Empire  by  Alexander.  The 
contests  between  the  Greeks  and  Persians  are  said  to 
have  been  exceedingly  furious  ;  and  some  of  the 
scenes  as  recorded  in  history  are  vividly  brought  to 
mind  by  the  words  of  the  prophecy,  a  ram  standing 
before  the  river  and  the  goat  running  unto  him  in 
the  fury  of  his  power.  Alexander  first  vanquished 

13 


194  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

the  generals  of  Darius  at  the  river  Granicus  in 
Phrygia ;  he  next  attacked  and  totally  routed 
Darius,  at  the  straits  of  Issus  in  Cilicia,  and  after- 
ward on  the  plains  of  Arbela  in  Syria.  This  battle 
occurred  B.  c.  331,  and  marks  the  conclusion  of  the 
Persian  Empire ;  for  by  this  event  Alexander  became 
complete  master  of  the  whole  country.  Bishop 
Newton  quotes  verse  G:  "And  he  [the  goat]  came 
to  the  ram  which  I  had  seen  standing  before  the 
river,  and  ran  unto  him  in  the  fury  of  his  power," 
and  adds :  "  One  can  hardly  read  these  words,  with- 
out having  some  image  of  Darius'  army  standing 
and  guarding  the  river  Granicus,  and  of  Alexan- 
der on  the  other  side,  with  his  forces  plunging  in, 
swimming  across  the  stream,  and  rushing  on  the  en- 
emy with  all  the  fire  and  fury  that  can  be  imagined." 

Ptolemy  begins  the  reign  of  Alexander  B.  c.  332, 
but  it  was  not  till  the  battle  of  Arbela,  the  year 
following,  that  he  became,  according  to  Prideaux  (i, 
p.  378),  "  absolute  lord  of  that  empire  to  the  utmost 
extent  in  which  it  was  ever  possessed  by  the  Per- 
sian kings."  On  the  eve  of  this  engagement,  Da- 
rius sent  ten  of  his  chief  relations  to  sue  for  peace ; 
and  upon  their  presenting  their  conditions  to  Alex- 
ander, he  replied,  "Tell  your  sovereign  .  .  .  . 
that  the  world  will  not  permit  two  suns  nor  two 
sovereigns ! " 

The  language  of  verse  7  sets  forth  the  complete- 
ness of  the  subjection  of  Medo-Persia  to  Alexan- 
der. The  two  horns  were  broken,  and  the  ram  cast 
to  the  ground  and  stamped  upon.  Persia  was  sub- 


CHAPTER   Vlll,    VERSE  8. 


dued,  the  country  ravaged,  its  armies  cut  to  pieces 
and  scattered,  its  cities  plundered,  and  the  royal 
city  of  Persepolis,  the  capital  of  the  Persian  Em- 
pire, and  even  in  its  ruins  one  of  the  wonders  of 
the  world  to  the  present  day,  was  sacked  and 
burned.  Thus  the  ram  had  no  power  to  stand 
before  the  goat,  and  there  was  none  that  could 
deliver  him  out  of  his  hand. 

VERSE  8.  Therefore  the  he-goat  waxed  very  great  :  and 
when  he  was  strong,  the  great  horn  was  broken  ;  and  for  it 
came  up  four  notable  ones  toward  the  four  winds  of  heaven. 

The  conqueror  is  greater  than  the  conquered. 
The  ram,  Medo-Persia,  became  great  :  the  goat,  Gre- 
cia,  became  very  great.  And  when  he  was  strong, 
the  great  horn  was  broken.  Human  foresight  and 
speculation  would  have  said,  When  he  becomes 
weak,  his  kingdom  racked  by  rebellion,  or  paralyzed 
by  luxury,  then  the  horn  will  be  broken  and  the 
kingdom  shattered.  But  Daniel  saw  it  broken  in 
the  very  prime  of  its  strength,  and  the  height  of 
its  power,  when  every  beholder  would  have  ex- 
claimed, Surely,  the  kingdom  is  established,  and 
nothing  can  overthrow  it.  Thus  it  is  often  with 
the  wicked  :  The  horn  of  their  strength  is  broken 
when  they  think  they  stand  firm  ;  but  the  right- 
eous, even  when  they  think  themselves  ready  to 
perish,  often  find  that,  through  the  sustaining 
power  of  God,  the  bruised  reed  is  not  broken,  and 
the  smoking  flax  is  not  quenched. 

Alexander  fell  in  the  prime  of  life.  See  notes 
on  verse  39  of  chapter  2.  After  his  death  there 


196  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

arose  much  confusion  among  his  followers  respect- 
ing the  succession.  It  was  finally  agreed,  after  a 
seven  days'  contest,  that  his  natural  brother,  Philip 
Aridseus,  should  be  declared  king.  By  him,  and 
Alexander's  sons,  Alexander  ^Egus  and  Hercules, 
the  name  and  show  of  the  Macedonian  Empire  was 
for  a  time  sustained ;  but  all  these  persons  were  soon 
murdered ;  and  the  regal  family  being  then  extinct, 
the  chief  commanders  of  the  army  who  had  gone  in- 
to different  parts  of  the  empire  as  governors  of  the 
provinces,  assumed  the  title  of  kings.  They  there- 
upon fell  to  leaguing  and  warring  with  each  other, 
to  such  a  degree  that  within  the  short  space  of  fif- 
teen years  from  Alexander's  death,  t)ie  number  was 
reduced  to — how  many  ?  Five  ?  No.  Three  ? 
No.  Two?  No.  But  four;  just  the  number 
specified  in  the  prophecy;  for  four  notable  horns 
were  to  come  up  toward  the  four  winds  of  heaven, 
in  place  of  the  great  horn  that  was  broken.  These 
were,  1.  Seleucus,  who  had  Syria  and  Babylon,  and 
from  whom  came  the  line  of  kings  known  as  the 
Seleucidse,  so  famous  in  history.  2.  Lysimachus, 
who  had  Asia  Minor.  3.  Ptolemy,  son  of  Lagus, 
from  whom  sprang  the  Lagidae ;  and  4.  Cassander, 
who  had  Greece  and  the  neighboring  countries. 
These  held  dominion  toward  the  four  winds  of 
heaven.  Cassander  had  the  western  parts,  Lysim- 
achus had  the  northern  regions,  Ptolemy  possessed 
the  southern  countries,  and  Seleucus  had  the  east- 
ern portions  of  the  empire.  These  four  horns  may 
therefore  be  named  Macedonia,  Thrace  (which  then 


ROME 


SYRIA 


EGYPT.  B.C. 30. 


PLATE  V.— LITTLE  HORN  OF  DANIEL  VIII. 


CHAPTER  VIII,    VEMSES  9-12.  197 

included  Asia  Minor,  and  those  parts  lying  on  the 
Hellespont  and  Bosporus,)  Syria,  and  Egypt. 

VERSE  9.  And  out  of  one  of  them  came  forth  a  little  horn, 
which  waxed  exceeding  great,  toward  the  south,  and  toward 
the  east,  and  toward  the  pleasant  land.  10.  And  it  waxed 
great,  even  to  the  host  of  heaven  ;  and  it  cast  down  some  of 
the  host  and  of  the  stars  to  the  ground,  and  stamped  upon 
them.  11.  Yea,  he  magnified  himself  even  to  the  prince  of 
the  host,  and  by  him  the  daily  sacrifice  was  taken  away,  and 
the  place  of  his  sanctuary  was  cast  down.  12.  And  an  host 
was  given  him  against  the  daily  sacrifice  by  reason  of  trans- 
gression, and  it  cast  down  the  truth  to  the  ground  ;  and  it 
practiced,  and  prospered. 

A  third  power  is  here  introduced  into  the  proph- 
ecy. In  the  explanation  which  the  angel  gave  to 
Daniel  of  these  symbols,  this  one  is  not  dascribed  in 
language  so  definite  as  that  of  Medo-Persia  and  Gre- 
cia.  Hence  a  flood  of  wild  conjecture  is  at  once  let 
loose.  Had  not  the  angel  positively,  and  in  language 
which  cannot  be  misunderstood,  stated  that  Medo- 
Persia  and  Grecia  were  denoted  by  the  ram  and  the 
he-goat,  it  is  impossible  to  tell  what  application  men 
would  have  given  us  of  those  symbols.  Probably 
they  would  have  applied  them  to  anything  and 
everything  but  the  right  objects.  Leave  men  a  mo- 
ment to  their  own  judgment  in  the  interpretation  of 
prophecy,  and  we  immediately  have  the  most  sub- 
lime exhibitions  of  human  folly. 

There  are  two  leading  applications  of  the  symbol 
now  under  consideration,  which  are  all  that  need  be 
noticed  in  these  brief  thoughts.  The  first  is  that  the 
little  horn  here  introduced  denotes  Antiochus  Epiph- 


198  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

anes  ;  the  second  is  that  it  denotes  the  Roman  power. 
It  is  an  easy  matter  to  test  the  claims  of  these  two 
positions. 

Does  it  mean  Antiochus  ?  If  so,  this  king  must 
fulfill  the  specifications  of  the  prophecy.  If  he  does 
not  fulfill  them,  the  application  cannot  be  made  to 
him.  The  little  horn  came  out  of  one  of  the  four 
horns  of  the  goat.  It  was  then  a  separate  power, 
existing  independently  of,  and  distinct  from,  any  of 
the  horns  of  the  goat.  *  Was  Antiochus  such  a 
power  ? 

1.  Who  was   Antiochus  ?     From    the   time  that 
Seleucus  made  himself  king  over  the  Syrian  portion 
of  Alexander's  empire,  thus  constituting  the  Syrian 
horn  of  the  goat,  until  that  country  was  conquered 
by  the  Romans,  twenty-six  kings  ruled  in  succession 
over  that  territory.     The  eighth  of  these,  in  order, 
was   Antiochus   Epiphanes.      Antiochus,  then,  was 
simply   one   of   the   twenty-six   kings  who   consti- 
tuted the  Syrian  horn  of  the  goat.     He  was,  for  the 
time  being,  that  horn.     Hence,  he  could  not  be  at 
the  same  time  a  separate  and  independent  power,  or 
another  and  remarkable  horn,  as  the  little  horn  was. 

2.  If  it  were  proper  to  apply  the  little  horn  to  any 
one  of  these  twenty-six  Syrian  kings,  it  should  cer- 
tainly be  applied  to  the  most  powerful  and  illustrious 
of  them  all ;    but  Antiochus  Epiphanes  did  not  by 
any   means   sustain   this   character.      Although   he 
took  the  name  Epiphanes,  that  is,  the  illustrious,  he 
was  illustrious  only  in  name  ;  for  nothing,  says  Prid- 
eaux,  on  the  authority  of  Polybius,  Livy,  and  Dio- 


CHAPTER    VI  11,    VERSES  9-1S.  ^99 

dorus  Siculus,  could  be  more  alien  to  his  true  char- 
acter. For,  on  account  of  his  vile  and  extravagant 
folly,  some  thinking  him  a  fool  and  others  a  mad- 
man, they  changed  the  name  of  Epiphanes,  The 
Illustrious,  into  Epimanes,  The  Madman. 

3.  Antiochus  the  Great,  the  father  of  Epiphanes, 
being  terribly  defeated  in  a  war  with  the  Romans, 
was  enabled  to  procure  peace  only  by  the  payment 
of  a  prodigious  sum  of  money,  and  a  surrender  of  a 
portion  of  his  territory  ; '  and,  as  a  pledge  that  he 
would  faithfully  adhere  to  the  terms  of  the  treaty, 
he  was  obliged  to  give  hostages,  among  whom  was 
this   very  Epiphanes,  his  sou,  who  was  carried   to 
Rome.     The  Romans  ever  after  maintained  this  as- 
cendency. 

4.  The   little   horn  waxed   exceeding  great ;   but 
this  Antiochus  did  not  enlarge  his  dominion  except 
by  some    temporary  conquests  in  Egypt,  which  he 
immediately  relinquished  when  the  Romans  took  the 
part  of  Ptolemy,  and  commanded  him  to  desist  from 
his  designs  in  that  quarter.     The  rage  of  his  disap- 
pointed ambition,  he  vented   upon  the  unoffending 
Jews. 

5.  The  little  horn,  in  comparison  with  the  powers 
that   preceded    it,  was  exceeding   great.     Persia   is 
simply  called  great,  though  it  reigned  over  a  hun- 
dred and  twenty -seven  provinces.     Esth.  1:1.     Gre- 
cia,  being  more  extensive  still,  is  called  very  great. 
Now  the  little  horn,  which  waxed  exceeding  great, 
must   surpass   them   both.     How   absurd,   then,   to 
apply  this  to  Antiochus,  who  was  obliged  to  abandon 


200  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

Egypt  at  the  dictation  of  the  Romans,  to  whom  he 
paid  enormous  sums  of  money  as  tribute.  The  Re- 
ligious Encyclopedia  gives  us  this  item  of  his  history : 
"  Finding  his  resources  exhausted,  he  resolved  to  go 
into  Persia  to  levy  tribute,  and  collect  large  sums 
which  he  had  agreed  to  pay  to  the  Romans."  It 
cannot  take  long  for  any  one  to  decide  the  question 
which  was  the  greater  power,  the  one  which  evacu- 
ated Egypt,  or  the  one  which  commanded  that  evac- 
uation ;  the  one  that  exacted  tribute,  or  the  one 
which  was  compelled  to  pay  it. 

6.  The  little  horn  was  to  stand  up  against  the 
Prince  of  princes.  The  Prince  of  princes  here 
means,  beyond  controversy,  Jesus  Christ.  Dan.  9  : 
25  ;  Acts  3  : 15  ;  Rev.  1:5.  But  Antiochus  died 
one  hundred  and  sixty-four  years  before  our  Lord 
was  born.  The  prophecy  cannot,  therefore,  apply  to 
him  ;  for  he  does  not  fulfill  the  specifications  in  one 
single  particular.  The  question  may  then  be  asked 
how  any  one  has  ever  come  to  apply  it  to  him.  We 
answer,  Romanists  take  that  view,  to  avoid  the  ap- 
plication of  the  prophecy  to  themselves  ;  and  many 
Protestants  follow  them,  in  order  to  oppose  the  doc- 
trine that  Christ  is  now  soon  to  come. 

It  has  been  an  easy  matter  to  show  that  the  little 
horn  does  not  denote  Antiochus.  It  will  be  just  as 
easy  to  show  that  it  does  denote  Rome. 

1.  The  field  of  vision  here  is  substantially  the 
same  as  that  covered  by  Nebuchadnezzar's  image,  of 
chapter  2,  and  Daniel's  vision,  of  chapter  7.  And  in 
both  those  prophetic  delineations  we  found  that  the 


CHAPTER  VIII,    VERSES  9-12.  201 

power  which  succeeded  Grecia  as  the  fourth  great 
power,  was  Rome.  The  only  natural  inference 
would  be  that  the  little  horn,  the  power  which  in 
this  vision  succeeds  Grecia  as  an  exceeding  great 
power,  is  also  Rome. 

2.  It  comes  forth  from  one  of   the  horns  of   the 
goat.     How,  it  may  be  asked,  can  this  be  true  of 
Rome  ?     It  is  unnecessary  to  remind  the  reader  that 
earthly  governments  are  not  introduced  into  proph- 
ecy till   they  become  in  some  way  connected  with 
the  people  of   God.     Rome  became  connected  with 
the   Jews,  the  people  of  God  at  that  time,  by  the 
famous  Jewish  League  B.  c.  161.     1  Maccabees  8  ; 

o  y 

Josephus'  Antiq.,  b.  12,  chapter  10,  sec.  6;  Prideaux, 
vol.  ii,  p.  166.  But  seven  years  before  this,  that  is, 
in  B.  c.  168,  Rome  had  conquered  Macedon,  and 
made  it  a  part  of  itself.  It  is  therefore  introduced 
into  prophecy  just  as,  from  the  conquered  Macedo- 
nian horn  of  the  goat,  it  is  preparing  to  go  forth  to 
new  conquests  in  other  directions.  It  therefore  ap- 
peared to  the  prophet,  or  may  be  properly  spoken  of 
in  this  prophecy,  as  coining  forth  from  one  of  the 
horns  of  the  goat. 

3.  It  waxed  great  toward  the  south.     Egypt  was 
made  a  province  of  the  Roman  Empire,  B.  C.  30,  and 
continued  such  for  some  centuries. 

4.  Toward  the  east.     Rome  conquered  Syria,  B.  c. 
65,  and  made  it  a  province. 

5.  Toward  the  pleasant  land.     Judea  is  so  called 
in  many  scriptures.     The  Romans  finally  made  this 
a  province,  B.  c.  63,  and  eventually  destroyed    the 


202 


THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 


city  and  the  temple,  and  scattered  the  Jews  over  the 
face  of  the  whole  earth. 

6.  It  waxed  great  even  to  the  host  of   heaven. 
The  host  of  heaven  when  used  in  a  symbolic  sense 
in  reference  to  events  transpiring  upon  the  earth, 
must  denote  persons  of  illustrious  character,  or  ex- 
alted position.     The  great  red  dragon,  Rev.  12  : 4,  is 
said  to  have  cast  down  a  third  part  of  the  stars  of 
heaven  to  the  ground.     The  dragon  was  there  in- 
terpreted to  symbolize  pagan  Rome,  and  the  stars  it 
cast  to  the  ground  were  Jewish  rulers.     We  think  it 
is  the  same  power  and  the  same  work   that  is  here 
brought  to  view  ;  which  again  makes  it  necessary  to 
apply  it  to  Rome. 

7.  He  magnified  himself  even  to  the  Prince  of  the 
host.     In  the  interpretation,  verse  25,  this  is  called 
standing  up  against  the   Prince   of   princes.     How 
clear  an  allusion  to  the  crucifixion  of  our  Lord,  under 
the  jurisdiction  of  the  Romans  ! 

8.  By  him  the  daily  sacrifice  was  taken  away. 
We   understand   that   the   little   horn  symbolized 
Rome  in  its  entire  history,  including  the  two  phases 
of  pagan  and   papal.     These  two  phases  are  else- 
where spoken  of  as  the  "  daily  "  (sacrifice  is  a  sup- 
plied word)  and  the  "  transgression  of  desolation ; " 
the    daily  (desolation)  signifying  the  pagan  form, 
and  the  transgression  of  desolation,  the  papal.     In 
the   actions  ascribed  to  this  power,  sometimes  one 
form  is  spoken  of,  sometimes  the  other.     "  By  him," 
(the  papal  form)  "  the  daily,"  (the  pagan  form)  "  was 
taken    away."     Pagan  Rome    gave  place  to  papal 


CHAPTER  VIII,   VERSES  9-12.  20  o 

Rome.  And  the  place  of  his  sanctuary,  or  worship, 
the  city  of  Rome,  was  cast  down.  The  seat  of  gov- 
ernment was  removed  to  Constantinople.  The 
same  transaction  is  brought  to  view  in  Revelation 
13 : 2,  where  it  says  that  the  dragon,  pagan  Rome, 
gave  to  the  beast,  papal  Rome,  his  seat,  the  city  of 
Rome,  and  power  and  great  authority,  the  whole  in- 
fluence of  the  empire. 

9.  A  host  was  given  him  against  the  daily.     The 
barbarians  that  subverted  the  Roman  Empire,  in  the 
changes,  attritions,   and   transformations   of   those 
times,  became  converts  to  the  Catholic  faith,  and 
the  instruments  of  the  dethronement  of  their  for- 
mer religion.     Though  conquering  Rome  politically, 
they  were  themselves  vanquished  by  the  religion  of 
Rome,  and  became  the    perpetuators  of   the  same 
empire   in  another  phase.     And  this  was  brought 
about  by  reason  of   transgression,  that  is,  by  the 
working  of  the  mystery  of  iniquity.     The  papacy 
is  the  most  God-dishonoring  system  of  iniquity  ever 
devised,  because  in  his  name  it  commits  its  abomi- 
nations, and  practices  its  orgies  of  hell  in  the  garb, 
and  under  the  pretense,  of  pure  and  undefiled  re- 
ligion. 

10.  It  cast  the  truth  to  the  ground  and  practiced 
and  prospered.     This  describes,  in  few  words,  the 
work  and  career  of  the  papacy.     The  truth  is  by  it 
hideously  caricatured  ;  it  is  loaded  with  traditions ; 
it  is  turned  into  mummery  and  superstition ;  it  is 
cast  down  and  obscured. 

And  this  antichristian  power  has  practiced — prac- 


204  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

ticed  its  deceptions  upon  the  people,  practiced  its 
schemes  of  cunning  to  carry  out  its  own  ends,  and 
aggrandize  its  own  power. 

And  it  has  prospered.  It  has  made  war  with  the 
saints  and  prevailed  against  them.  It  has  run  its 
allotted  career,  and  soon  is  to  be  broken  without 
hand,  to  be  given  to  the  burning  flame,  and  perish 
in  the  consuming  glories  of  the  second  appearing  of 
our  Lord. 

Rome  meets  all  the  specifications  of  the  proph- 
ecy. No  other  power  does  meet  them.  Hence 
Rome,  and  no  other,  is  the  power  in  question.  And 
the  descriptions  given  in  the  word  of  God,  of  the 
character  of  this  monstrous  system  are  fully  met 
and  the  prophecies  of  its  baleful  history  have  been 
most  strikingly  and  accurately  fulfilled. 

VERSE  13.  Then  I  heard  one  saint  speaking,  and  another 
saint  said  unto  that  certain  saint  which  spake,  How  long 
shall  be  the  vision  concerning  the  daily  sacrifice,  and  the 
transgression  of  desolation,  to  give  both  the  sanctuary  and 
the  host  to  be  trodden  under  foot  ?  14.  And  he  said  unto  me, 
Unto  two  thousand  and  three  hundred  days  ;  then  shall  the 
sanctuary  be  cleansed. 

Tlie  Time.  These  two  verses  close  the  vision 
proper  of  chapter  8;  and  they  introduce  the  one 
remaining  point  which  of  all  others  would  natu- 
rally be  of  the  most  absorbing  interest  to  the 
prophet,  and  to  all  the  church;  namely,  the  time 
the  desolating  powers  previously  brought  to  view 
were  to  continue.  How  long  shall  they  continue 
their  course  of  oppression  against  God's  people,  and 


CHAPTER  VIII,  VERSES  13,  14.  205 

of  blasphemy  against  high  Heaven  ?  Daniel,  if 
time  had  been  given,  might  perhaps  have  asked  this 
question  himself,  but  Heaven  is  ever  ready  to  antic- 
ipate our  wants,  and  sometimes  to  answer,  even  be- 
fore we  ask.  Hence,  two  celestial  beings  appear 
upon  the  scene,  holding  a  conversation,  in  the  hear- 
ing of  the  prophet,  upon  this  question  which  it  is  so 
important  that  the  church  should  understand. 
Daniel  heard  one  saint  speaking.  What  this  saint 
spoke  at  this  time  we  are  not  informed ;  but  there 
must  have  been  something  either  in  the  matter  or 
the  manner  of  this  speaking  which  made  a  deep  im- 
pression upon  the  mind  of  Daniel,  inasmuch  as  he 
uses  it 'in  the  very  next  sentence  as  a  designating 
title,  calling  the  angel  "that  certain  saint  which 
spake"  He  may  have  spoken  something  of  the 
same  nature  as  that  which  the  seven  thunders  of 
the  Apocalypse  uttered,  Rev.  10 : 3,  and  which, 
when  John  was  about  to  write,  he  was  restrained, 
for  some  good  reason,  from  so  doing.  But  another 
saint  asked  this  one  that  spake  an  important  ques- 
tion :  How  long  the  vision  ?  and  both  the  question 
and  the  answer  are  placed  upon  record,  which  is 
prima  facie  evidence  that  this  is  a  matter  which  it 
was  designed  that  the  church  should  understand. 
And  this  view  is  further  confirmed  by  the  fact  that 
the  angel  did  not  ask  this  question  for  his  own  in- 
formation, inasmuch  as  the  answer  was  addressed 
to  Daniel,  as  the  one  whom  it  chiefly  concerned,  and 
for  whose  information  it  was  given.  "  And  he  said 
unto  me"  said  Daniel,  recording  the  answer  to  the 


206  THO  UGHTS  ON  DA  NIEL. 

angel's  question,  "  Unto  two  thousand  a.nd  three 
hundred  days;  then  shall  the  sanctuary  be  cleansed.' 

The  Daily  Sacrifice.  We  have  proof  in  verse  13, 
that  sacrifice  is  the  wrong  word  to  be  supplied  in 
connection  with  the  word  daily.  If  the  daily  sac- 
rifice of  the  Jewish  service  is  here  meant,  or  in 
other  words,  the  taking  away  of  that  sacrifice,  as 
some  suppose,  which  sacrifice  was  at  a  certain  point 
of  time  taken  away,  there  would  be  no  propriety  in 
the  question,  How  long  the  vision  concerning  it  ? 
This  question  evidently  implies  that  those  agents  or 
events  to  which  the  vision  relates,  occupy  a  long 
series  of  years.  Continuance  of  time  is  the  central 
idea.  And  the  whole  time  of  the  vision  is  filled  by 
what  is  here  called  the  daily  and  the  transgression 
of  desolation.  Hence  the  daily  cannot  be  the  daily 
sacrifice  of  the  Jews,  the  taking  away  of  which, 
when  the  time  came  for  it,  occupied  comparatively 
but  an  instant  of  time.  It  must  denote  something 
which  occupies  a  series  of  years. 

The  word  here  rendered  daily,  occurs  in  the  Old 
Testament,  according  to  the  Hebrew  Concordance, 
one  hundred  and  two  times,  and  is,  in  the  great  ma- 
jority of  instances,  rendered  "  continual,"  and  "  con- 
tinually." The  idea  of  sacrifice  does  not  attach  to 
the  word  at  all.  Nor  is  there  any  word  in  the  text 
which  signifies  sacrifice.  It  is  wholly  a  supplied 
word,  the  translators  putting  in  that  word  which 
their  understanding  of  the  text  seemed  to  demand. 
But  they  evidently  took  an  erroneous  view,  the  sac- 
rifices of  the  Jews  not  being  referred  to  at  all.  We 


CHAPTER   VIII,  VERSES  13,  14.  207 

therefore  suggest,  as  being  more  in  accordance  with 
both  the  construction  and  the  context  that  the 
word  daily  refers  to  a  desolating  power,  like  the 
transgression  of  desolation  with  which  it  is  con- 
nected. Then  we  have  two  desolating  powers,  which 
for  a  long  period  oppress,  or  desolate,  the  church. 
The  Hebrew,  ooP  ;'»?rn  Tonn,  justifies  this  con- 
struction; the  last  word,  DDtf,  desolation,  being 
the  leading  word,  in  the  construct  state,  and  having 
a  common  relation  to  the  two  preceding  nouns, 
"  the  perpetual "  and  "  the  transgression,"  which  are 
connected  by  the  conjunction  "and."  Literally  it 
may  be  rendered,  "  How  long  the  vision  (concerning) 
the  continuance  and  the  transgression  of  desolation," 
the  word  desolation  being  related  to  both  continu- 
ance and  transgression,  as  though  it  were  expressed 
in  full,  "  the  continuance  of  desolation  and  the  trans- 
gression of  desolation."  By  the  continuance  of  deso- 
lation, or  the  perpetual  desolation,  paganism  through 
all  its  long  history  is  •  meant ;  and  by  "  the  trans- 
gression of  desolation "  is  meant  the  papacy.  The 
phrase  describing  this  power  is  stronger  than  that 
used  to  describe  paganism.  It  is  the  transgression 
(or  rebellion,  as  the  word  also  means)  of  desolation ; 
as  though  under  this  period  of  the  history  of  the 
church,  the  desolating  power  had  rebelled  against 
all  restraint  previously  imposed  upon  it. 

From  a  religious  point  of  view,  the  world  has  pre- 
sented only  these  two  phases.  Hence,  although 
three  earthly  governments  are  introduced  in  the 
prophecy,  as  oppressors  of  the  church,  they  are  here 


1 


208  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

ranged  under  two  heads ;  the  daily,  and  the  trans- 
gression of  desolation.  Medo-Persia  was  pagan ; 
Grecia  was  pagan ;  Rome  in  its  first  phase  was 
pagan;  these  all  composed  the  daily;  then  comes 
the  papal  form,  which  was  to  be  the  leading  perse- 
cuting power  to  the  end  of  time,  a  marvel  of  satanic 
craft  and  cunning,  an  incarnation  of  fiendish  blood- 
thirstiness  and  cruelty.  No  wonder  the  cry  has 
gone  up  from  suffering  martyrs,  from  age  to  age, 
How  long,  0  Lord,  how  long  ?  And  no  wonder  the 
Lord,  in  order  that  hope  might  not  wholly  die  out 
of  the  hearts  of  his  down-trodden,  waiting  people, 
has  lifted  before  them  the  vail  of  futurity,  showing 
them  the  consecutive  events  of  the  world's  history, 
till  all  these  persecuting  powers  should  meet  an 
utter  and  everlasting  destruction,  and  giving  them 
glimpses  beyond,  of  the  unfading  glories  of  their 
eternal  inheritance. 

The  Lord's  eye  is  upon  his  people.  The  furnace 
will  be  heated  no  hotter  than  necessary  to  consume 
the  dross.  It  is  through  much  tribulation  we  are 
to  enter  the  kingdom ;  and  the  word  tribulation  is 
from  tribulum,  a  threshing  sledge.  Blow  after  blow 
must  be  laid  upon  us,  till  all  the  wheat  is  beaten 
free  from  the  chaff,  and  we  are  made  fit  for  the 
heavenly  garner.  But  not  a  kernel  of  wheat  shall 
be  lost.  Says  the  Lord  to  his  people,  Ye  are  the 
light  of  the  world,  the  salt  of  the  earth.  In  his 
eyes,  there  is  nothing  else  of  consequence  or  impor- 
tance on  the  earth.  Hence  the  peculiar  question 
here  asked,  How  long  the  vision  respecting  the 


CHAPTER   VIII,    VERSES  13,  14.  209 

daily  and  the  transgression  of  desolation — concern- 
ing what  ?  the  glory  of  earthly  kingdoms  ?  the  skill 
of  renowned  warriors  ?  the  fame  of  mighty  conquer- 
ors ?  the  greatness  of  human  empire  ?  No ;  but 
concerning  the  sanctuary  and  the  host, — the  people 
and  worship  of  the  Most  High.  How  long  shall 
they  be  trodden  under  foot  ?  Here  is  where  all 
Heaven's  interest  and  sympathy  are  enlisted.  He 
who  touches  the  people  of  God,  touches  not  mere 
mortals,  weak  and  helpless,  but  Omnipotence ;  he 
opens  an  account  which  must  be  settled  at  the  bar 
of  Heaven.  And  soon  all  these  accounts  will  be 
adjusted,  the  iron  heel  of  oppression  will  itself  be 
crushed,  and  a  people  will  be  brought  out  of  the 
furnace  prepared  to  shine  as  the  stars  forever  and 
ever.  To  be  one  who  is  an  object  of  interest  to 
heavenly  beings,  one  whom  the  providence  of  God 
is  engaged  to  preserve  while  here,  and  crown  with 
immortality  hereafter — what  an  exalted  position ! 
How  much  higher  than  that  of  any  king,  president, 
or  potentate  of  earth  !  Reader,  are  you  one  of  the 
number  ? 

Respecting  the  2300  days,  introduced  for  the  first 
time  in  verse  14,  there  are  no  data  in  this  chapter 
from  which  we  can  determine  their  commencement 
and  close,  or  tell  what  portion  of  the  world's  history 
they  cover.  We  are  obliged,  therefore,  for  the  pres- 
ent, to  pass  them  by.  Let  the  reader  be  assured, 
however,  that  we  are  not  left  in  any  uncertainty 
concerning  those  days.  The  declaration  respecting 
them  is  a  part  of  a  revelation  which  is  given  for  the 

14 


210  THOUGHTS   ON  DANIEL. 

instruction  of  the  people  of  God,  and  is  consequently 
to  be  understood.  They  are  spoken  of  in  the  midst 
of  a  prophecy  which  the  angel  Gabriel  was  com- 
manded to  make  Daniel  understand ;  and  which  in- 
struction we  may  be  certain  that  the  angel  at  some 
time  carried  out,  and  hence  that  somewhere  the  nec- 
essary information  is  given  respecting  this  important 
period.  We  shall  look  for  something  further  on  this 
point  in  subsequent  portions  of  the  prophecy  of 
Daniel ;  and  we  shall  find  that  the  mystery  which 
hangs  over  these  days  in  this  chapter,  is  dispelled  in 
the  next. 

The  Sanctuary.  Connected  wTith  the  2300  days 
is  another  object  of  equal  importance,  which  now  pre- 
sents itself  for  investigation  ;  namely,  the  sanctuary  ; 
and  with  this  is  also  connected  the  subject  of  its 
cleansing.  As  we  examine  these  subjects,  we  shall 
see  the  importance  of  having  an  understanding  of  the 
commencement  and  termination  of  the  2300  days, 
that  we  m&y  know  when  the  great  event  called  the 
cleansing  of  the  sanctuary  is  to  transpire  ;  for  all 
the  inhabitants  of  earth,  as  will  in  due  time  appear, 
have  a  personal  interest  in  that  solemn  work. 

Several  objects  have  been  claimed  by  different 
ones  as  the  sanctuary  here  mentioned :  1.  The  earth. 
2.  The  land  of  Canaan.  3.  The  church.  4.  The 
sanctuary,  the  "true  tabernacle,  which  the  Lord 
pitched  and  not  man,"  which  is  "  in  the  Heavens," 
and  of  which  the  Jewish  tabernacle  was  a  type,  pat- 
tern, or  figure.  Heb.  3:1,2;  9 : 23,  24.  These 
conflicting  claims  must  be  decided  by  what  the 


CHAPTER   VIII,  VERSES   13,   14*  211 

Scriptures  say  on  the  subject ;  and  fortunately  its 
testimony  is  neither  meager  nor  ambiguous. 

1.  The  word  sanctuary  occurs  in  the  Old  and  New 
Testaments  one  hundred  and  forty-four  times,  and 
from  the  definitions  of  lexicographers,  and  its  use 
in  the  Bible,  we  learn  that  it  is  used  to  signify  a 
holy  or  sacred  place,  a  dwelling-place  for  the  Most 
High.  If,  now,  the  earth  is  the  sanctuary,  it  will 
answer  to  the  definition,  and  the  Bible  will  some- 
where speak  of  it  as  such.  But  we  do  not  find  a 
single  characteristic  pertaining  to  this  earth  which 
will  satisfy  the  definition.  It  is  neither  a  holy  nor 
a  sacred  place,  nor  is  it  a  dwelling-place  for  the 
Most  High.  It  has  no  mark  of  distinction  except 
as  being  a  revolted  planet,  marred  by  sin,  and 
scarred  and  withered  by  the  curse.  Moreover  it  is 
nowhere  in  all  the  Scriptures  called  the  sanctuary. 
Only  one  text  can  be  produced  in  favor  of  this  view, 
and  that  only  by  a  false  application.  Isa.  60 : 13, 
says  :  "  The  glory  of  Lebanon  shall  come  unto  thee, 
the  fir  tree,  the  pine  tree,  and  the  box  together,  to 
beautify  the  place  of  my  sanctuary ;  and  I  will 
make  the  place  of  my  feet  glorious."  This  language 
undoubtedly  refers  to  the  new  earth  ;  but  even  that 
is  not  called  the  sanctuary,  but  only  the  place  of  the 
sanctuary,  just,  as  it  is  called  the  place  of  the  Lord's 
feet ;  an  expression  which  probably  denotes  the 
continual  presence  of  God  with  his  people,  as  it  was 
revealed  to  John  when  it  was  said,  "Behold,  the 
tabernacle  of  God  is  with  men,  and  he  will  dwell 
with  them,  and  they  shall  be  his  people,  aud  God 


212  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

himself  shall  be  with  them,  and  be  their  God."  Rev. 
21:3.  All  that  can  be  said  of  the  earth,  therefore, 
is,  that  when  renewed  it  will  be  the  place  where  the 
sanctuary  of  God  will  be  located.  It  can  present 
not  a  shadow  of  a  claim  to  being  the  sanctuary 
at  the  present  time,  or  the  sanctuary  of  the  proph- 
ecy. 

2.  Is  the  land  of  Canaan  the  sanctuary  ?  So  far 
as  we  may  be  governed  by  the  definition  of  the 
word,  it  can  present  no  better  claim  than  the  earth 
to  that  distinction.  If  we  inquire  where  in  the  Bi- 
ble it  is  called  the  sanctuary,  a  few  texts  are 
brought  forward  which  seem  to  be  supposed  by 
some  to  furnish  the  requisite  testimony.  The  first 
of  these  is  Ex.  15:17.  Moses,  in  his  song  of  tri- 
umph and  praise  to  God  after  the  passage  of  the 
Red  Sea,  exclaimed :  "  Thou  shalt  bring  them  in, 
and  plant  them  in  the  mountain  of  thine  inherit- 
ance, in  the  place,  O  Lord,  which  thou  hast  made 
for  thee  to  dwell  in,  in  the  sanctuary,  O  Lord,  which 
thy  hands  have  established."  A  writer  who  urges 
this  text,  says,  "  I  ask  the  reader  to  pause,  and  ex- 
amine and  settle  the  question  most  distinctly,  before 
he  goes  further — What  is  the  sanctuary  here  spoken 
of?"  We  think  it  would  be  safer  for  the  reader 
not  to  attempt  to  settle  the  question  definitely  from 
this  one  isolated  text,  before  comparing  it  with 
other  scriptures.  Moses  here  speaks  in  anticipation. 
His  language  is  a  prediction  of  what  God  would  do 
for  his  people.  Let  us  see  how  it  was  accomplished. 
If  we  find,  in  the  fulfillment,  that  the  land  in  which 


CHAPTER  VIII,   VERSES  13,  14.  213 

they  were  planted  is  called  the  sanctuary,  it  will 
greatly  strengthen  the  claim  that  is  based  upon  this 
text.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  we  find  a  plain  dis- 
tinction drawn  between  the  land  and  the  sanctu- 
ary, then  Ex.  15:17  must  be  interpreted  accord- 
ingly. We  turn  to  David,  who  records  as  a  matter 
of  history  what  Moses  uttered  as  a  matter  of  proph- 
ecy. Ps.  78:53,54.  The  subject  of  the  psalmist 
here,  is  the  deliverance  of  Israel  from  Egyptian 
servitude,  and  their  establishment  in  the  promised 
land ;  and  he  says :  "  And  he  [God]  led  them  on 
safely,  so  that  they  feared  not ;  but  the  sea  over- 
whelmed their  enemies.  And  he  brought  them  to 
the  border  of  his  sanctuary,  even  to  this  mountain 
which  his  right  hand  had  purchased."  The  "  moun- 
tain "  here  mentioned  by  David,  is  the  same  as  the 
"  mountain  of  thine  inheritance  "  spoken  of  by  Mo- 
ses, in  which  the  people  were  to  be  planted;  and 
this  mountain  David  calls,  not  the  sanctuary,  but 
only  the  border  of  the  sanctuary.  What,  then,  was 
the  sanctuary?  Verse  69  of  the  same  psalm  in- 
forms us :  "And  he  built  his  sanctuary  like  high 
palaces,  like  the  earth  which  he  hath  established 
forever."  The  same  distinction  between  the  sanct- 
uary and  the  land  is  pointed  out  in  the  prayer  of 
good  king  Jehoshaphat.  2  Chron.  20:7,  8:  "Art 
thou  not  our  God  who  didst  drive  out  the  inhabit- 
ants of  this  land  before  thy  people  Israel,  and  gav- 
est  it  to  the  seed  of  Abraham,  thy  friend,  forever  ? 
And  they  dwelt  therein,  and  have  built  thee  a  sanct- 
uary therein  for  thy  name."  Taken  alone,  some 


214  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

try  to  draw  an  inference  from  Ex.  15  : 17,  that  the 
mountain  was  the  sanctuary ;  but  when  we  take  in 
connection  with  it  the  language  of  David,  which  is 
a  record  of  the  fulfillment  of  Moses'  prediction,  and 
an  inspired  commentary  upon  his  language,  such  an 
idea  cannot  be  entertained ;  for  David  plainly  says 
that  the  mountain  was  simply  the  border  of  the 
sanctuary;  and  that  in  that  border  or  land,  the 
sanctuary  was  built  like  high  palaces,  reference  be- 
ing made  to  the  beautiful  temple  of  the  Jews,  the 
center  and  symbol  of  all  their  worship.  But  who- 
ever will  read  carefully  Ex.  15  : 17,  will  see  that  not 
even  an  inference  is  necessary,  that  by  the  word 
sanctuary  Moses  means  the  mountain  of  inheritance, 
much  less  the  whole"  land  of  Palestine.  In  the  free- 
dom of  poetic  license,  he  employs  elliptical  expres- 
sions, and  passes  rapidly  from  one  idea  or  object  to 
another.  First,  the  inheritance  engages  his  atten- 
tion, and  he  speaks  of  it;  then  the  fact  that  the 
Lord  was  to  dwell  there ;  then  the  place  he  was  to 
provide  for  his  dwelling  there,  namely,  the  sanctu- 
ary which  he  would  cause  to  be  built.  David  thus 
associates  Mount  Zion  and  Judah  together,  in  Ps. 
78 :  68,  because  Zion  was  located  in  Judah. 

The  three  texts,  Ex.  15:17;  Ps.  78:54,  69,  are 
the  ones  chiefly  relied  on  to  prove  that  the  land  of 
Canaan  is  the  sanctuary ;  but,  singularly  enough, 
the  two  latter  in  plain  language  clear  away  the  am- 
biguity of  the  first,  and  utterly  disprove  the  claim 
that  it  is  based  thereon. 

Having  disposed  of  the  main  proof  on  this  point, 


CHAPTER   VIII,  VERSES  IS,  14-  215 

it  would  hardly  seem  worth  while  to  spend  time 
with  those  texts  from  which  only  inferences  can  be 
drawn.  As  there  is,  however,  only  one  even  of 
this  class,  we  will  refer  to  it,  that  no  point  may  be 
left  unnoticed.  Isa.  63:18:  "  The  people  of  thy 
holiness  have  possessed  it  but  a  little  while ;  our 
adversaries  have  trodden  down  thy  sanctuary." 
This  language  is  as  applicable  to  the  temple  as  to 
the  land ;  for  when  the  land  was  overrun  with  the 
enemies  of  Israel,  their  temple  was  laid  in  ruins. 
This  is  plainly  stated  in  verse  11  of  the  next  chap- 
ter :  "  Our  holy  and  our  beautiful  house,  where  our 
fathers  praised  thee,  is  burned  up  with  fire."  The 
text  therefore  proves  nothing  for  this  view. 

Respecting  the  earth,  or  the  land  of  Canaan,  as 
the  sanctuaiy,  we  offer  one  thought  more.  If  they 
constitute  the  sanctuary,  they  should  not  only  be 
somewhere  described  as  such,  but  the  same  idea 
should  be  carried  through  to  the  end,  and  the  puri- 
fication of  the  earth,  or  of  Palestine,  should  be 
called  the  cleansing  of  the  sanctuary.  The  ear.th  is 
indeed  denied,  and  it  is  to  be  purified  by  fire ;  but 
fire,  as  we  shall  see,  is  not  the  agent  which  is  used 
in  the  cleansing  of  the  sanctuary ;  and  this,  purifi- 
cation of  the  earth,  or  any  part  of  it,  is  nowhere  in 
the  Bible  called  the  cleansing  of  the  sanctuary. 

3.  Is  the  church  the  sanctuary  ?  The  evident 
mistrust  with  which  this  idea  is  suggested  is  a 
virtual  surrender  of  the  argument,  before  it  is 
presented.  One  solitary  text  is  adduced  in  its 
support :  Ps.  114  : 1,  2  :  "  When  Israel  went  out  of 


216  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 


Egypt,  the  house  of  Jacob  from  a  people  of  strange 
language,  Judah  was  his  sanctuary,  and  Israel  his 
dominion."  Should  we  take  this  text  in  its  most 
literal  sense,  what  would  it  prove  respecting  the 
sanctuary  ?  It  would  prove  that  the  sanctuary 
was  confined  to  one  of  the  twelve  tribes ;  and  hence 
that  a  portion  of  the  church  only,  not  the  whole  of 
it,  constitutes  the  sanctuary.  But  this,  proving  too 
little  for  the  theory  under  consideration,  proves 
nothing.  Why  Judah  is  called  the  sanctuary  in 
the  text  quoted,  need  not  be  a  matter  of  perplexity 
when  we  remember  that  God  chose  Jerusalem 
which  was  in  Judah,  as  trie  place  of  his  sanct- 
uary. "But  chose,"  says  David,  "the  tribe  of 
Judah,  the  Mount  Zion  which  he  loved.  And 
he  built  his  sanctuary  like  high  palaces,  like 
the  earth  which  he  hath  established  forever." 
This  clearly  shows  the  connection  which  existed 
between  Judah  and  the  sanctuary.  That  tribe  it- 
self was  not  the  sanctuary ;  but  it  is  once  spoken  of 
as  such  when  Israel  came  forth  from  Egypt,  be- 
cause God  purposed  that  in  the  midst  of  the  terri- 
tory of  that  tribe,  his  sanctuary  should  be  located. 
But  even  if  it  could  be  shown  that  the  church  is 
anywhere  called  the  sanctuary,  it  would  be  of  no 
consequence  to  our  present  purpose,  which  is  to  de- 
termine what  constitutes  the  sanctuary  of  Dan. 
8 : 13,  14  ;  for  the  church  is  there  spoken  of  as  an- 
other object :  "  To  give  both  the  sanctuary  and  the 
host  to  be  trodden  under  foot."  That  by  the  term 
host,  the  church  is  here  meant,  none  will  dispute ; 


CHAPTER  VIII,  VERSES  13,  14. 


the  sanctuary  is  therefore  another  and  a  different 
object. 

4.  There  remains  but  one  more  position  to  be  ex- 
amined ;  namely,  That  the  sanctuary  mentioned  in 
the  text  is  what  Paul  calls  in  Hebrews  the  "  true 
tabernacle,  which  the  Lord  pitched,  and  not  man," 
to  which  he  expressly  gives  the  name  of  "  the  sanct- 
uary," and  which  he  locates  in  "  the  Heavens  ;  "  of 
which  sanctuary,  we  had,  under  the  former  dispen- 
sation, first  in  the  tabernacle  built  by  Moses,  and 
afterward  in  the  temple  at  Jerusalem,  a  pattern, 
type,  or  figure.  And  let  it  be  particularly  noticed, 
that  on  the  view  here  suggested  rests  our  only 
hope  of  ever  understanding  this  question  ;  for  we 
have  seen  that  all  other  positions  are  untenable. 
No  other  object  which  has  ever  been  supposed  by 
any  one  to  be  the  sanctuary,  neither  the  earth,  the 
land  of  Canaan,  nor  the  church,  can  for  a  moment 
support  such  a  claim.  If,  therefore,  we  do  not  find 
it  in  the  object  before  us,  we  may  abandon  the 
search  in  utter  despair  ;  we  may  discard  so  much 
of  revelation  as  still  unrevealed,  and  may  cut  out 
from  the  sacred  page,  as  so  much  useless  reading, 
the  numerous  passages  which  speak  on  this  subject. 
All  those,  therefore,  who,  rather  than  that  so  im- 
portant a  subject  should  go  by  default,  are  willing 
to  lay  aside  all  preconceived  opinions  and  cherished 
views,  will  approach  the  position  before  us  with  in- 
tense anxiety  and  unbounded  interest.  They  will 
lay  hold  of  any  evidence  that  may  here  be  given 
us,  as  a  man  bewildered  in  a  labyrinth  of  darkness 


218  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

would  lay  hold  on  the  thread  which  was  his  only 
guide  to  lead  him  forth  again  to  light,  or  as  the 
perishing  man  would  leap  for  the  last  life-boat  that 
could  rescue  him  from  destruction. 

It  will  be  safe  for  us  to  put  ourselves,  in  imag- 
ination, in  the  place  of  Daniel,  and  view  the  subject 
from  his  standpoint.  What  would  he  understand 
by  the  term  sanctuary  as  addressed  to  him  ?  If  we 
can  ascertain  this,  it  will  not  be  difficult  to  arrive 
at  correct  conclusions  on  this  subject.  His  mind 
would  inevitably  turn,  on  the  mention  of  that 
word,  to  the  sanctuary  of  that  dispensation ;  and 
certainly  he  well  knew  what  that  was.  His  mind 
did  turn  to  Jerusalem,  the  city  of  his  fathers,  which 
was  then  in  ruins,  and  to  their  "  beautiful  house," 
which,  as  Isaiah  laments,  was  burned  with  fire. 
And  so,  as  was  his  wont,  with  his  face  turned  to- 
ward the  place  of  their  once  venerated  temple,  he 
prayed  God  to  cause  his  face  to  shine  upon  his 
sanctuary,  which  was  desolate.  By  the  word  sanct- 
uary, Daniel  evidently  understood  their  temple  at 
Jerusalem. 

But  Paul  bears  testimony  which  is  most  explicit 
on  this  point.  Heb.  9:1:  "Then  verily  the  first 
covenant  had  also  ordinances  of  divine  service,  and 
a  worldly  sanctuary."  This  is  the  very  point,  which 
at  present  we  are  concerned  to  determine :  What 
was  the  sanctuary  of  the  first  covenant  ?  Paul 
proceeds  to  tell  us.  Hear  him.  Verses  2-5  :  "  For 
there  was  a  tabernacle  made;  the  first  [or  first 
apartment],  wherein  was  the  candlestick,  and  the 


CHAPTER  VIII,   VERSES  IS,  14.  219 

table,  and  the  showbread;  which  is  called  the  sanct- 
uary [margin,  the  holy].  And  after  the  second 
vail,  the  tabernacle  which  is  called  the  holiest  of 
all;  which  had  the  golden  censer,  and  the  ark  of 
the  covenant  overlaid  round  about  with  gold, 
wherein  was  the  golden  pot  that  had  manna,  and 
Aaron's  rod  that  budded,  and  the  tables  of  the 
covenant ;  and  over  it  the  cherubims  of  glory  shad- 
owing the  mercy-seat;  of  which  we  cannot  now 
speak  particularly." 

There  is  no  mistaking  the  object  to  which  Paul 
here  has  reference.  It  is  the  tabernacle  erected  by 
Moses  according  to  the  direction  of  the  Lord,  with 
a  holy  and  a  most  holy  place,  and  various  vessels  of 
service,  as  here  set  forth.  A  full  description  of 
this  building,  with  its  various  vessels  and  their 
uses,  will  be  found  in  Exodus,  chapter  25,  and  on- 
ward. If  the  reader  is  not  familiar  with  this  sub- 
ject, he  is  requested  to  turn  and  carefully  examine 
the  description  of  this  building.  This,  Paul  plainly 
says,  was  the  sanctuary  of  the  first  covenant.  And 
we  wish  the  reader  to  carefully  mark  the  logical 
value  of  this  declaration.  By  telling  us  what  did 
positively  for  a  time  constitute  the  sanctuary,  Paul 
sets  us  on  the  right  track  of  inquiry.  He  gives  us  a 
basis  on  which  to  work.  For  a  time,  the  field  is 
cleared  of  all  doubt  and  all  obstacles.  During  the 
time  covered  by  the  first  covenant,  which  reached 
from  Sinai  to  Christ,  we  have  before  us  a  distinct 
and  plainly-defined  object,  minutely  described  by 
Moses,  and  declared  by  Paul  to  be  the  sanctuary 
during  that  time. 


220  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

But  Paul's  language  has  greater  significance  even 
than  this.  It  forever  annihilates  the  claims  which 
are  put  forth  in  behalf  of  the  earth,  the  land  of 
Canaan,  or  the  church,  as  the  sanctuary.  For  the 
arguments  which  would  prove  them  to  be  the 
sanctuary  at  any  time  would  prove  them  to  be 
such  under  the  old  dispensation.  If  Canaan  was 
at  any  time  the  sanctuary,  it  was  such  when  Israel 
was  planted  in  it.  If  the  church  was  ever  the  sanct- 
uary, it  was  such  when  Israel  was  led  forth 
from  Egypt.  If  the  earth  was  ever  the  sanct- 
uary, it  was  such  during  the  period  of  which 
we  speak.  To  this  period  the  arguments  urged  in 
their  favor  apply  as  fully  as  to  any  other  period  ; 
and  if  they  were  not  the  sanctuary  during  this 
time,  then  all  the  arguments  are  destroyed  which 
would  show  that  they  ever  were,  or  ever  could  be, 
the  sanctuary.  But  were  they  the  sanctuary  dur- 
ing that  time  ?  This  is  a  final  question  for  these 
theories;  and  Paul  decides  it  in  the  negative  by 
describing  to  us  the  tabernacle  of  Moses,  and  tell- 
ing us  that  that,  not  the  earth,  nor  Canaan,  nor 
the  church,  was  the  sanctuary  of  that  dispensation! 

And  this  building  meets  all  the  requirements  of 
the  true  sanctuary.  1.  It  was  the  earthly  dwelling- 
place  of  God.  "  Let  them  make  me  a  sanctuary," 
said  he  to  Moses,  "that  I  may  dwell  among  them." 
Ex.  25  : 8.  In  this  tabernacle,  which  they  erected 
according  to  his  instructions,  he  manifested  his 
presence.  2.  It  was  a  holy  or  sacred  place :  "  The 
holy  sanctuary."  Lev.  16:33.  3.  It  is  over  and 


CHAPTER   VIII,  VERSES  25, 


over  again  called  the  sanctuary,  in  the  word  of  God. 
Of  the  one  hundred  and  forty  instances  in  which 
the  word  is  used  in  the  Old  Testament,  it  refers  in 
almost  every  case  to  this  building. 

The  tabernacle  was  at  first  constructed  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  be  adapted  to  the  condition  of  the 
children  of  Israel  at  that  time.  They  were  just 
entering  upon  their  forty  years'  wandering  in  the 
wilderness,  when  this  building  was  set  up  in  their 
midst  as  the  habitation  of  God  and  the  center  of 
their  religious  worship.  Journeying  was  a  neces- 
sity, and  removals  were  frequent.  It  would  be 
necessary  that  the  tabernacle  should  often  be 
moved  from  place  to  place.  It  was,  therefore,  so 
fashioned  of  movable  parts,  the  sides  being  com- 
posed of  upright  boards,  and  the  covering  consist- 
ing of  curtains  of  linen  and  dyed  skins,  that  it 
could  be  readily  taken  down,  conveniently  trans- 
ported, and  easily  erected  at  each  successive  stage 
of  their  journey.  After  entering  the  promised  land, 
this  temporary  structure  in  time  gave  place  to  the 
magnificent  temple  of  Solomon.  In  this  more  per- 
manent form  it  existed,  saving  only  the  time  it  lay 
in  ruins  in  Daniel's  day,  till  its  final  destruction  by 
the  Romans,  in  A.  D.  70. 

This  is  the  only  sanctuary  connected  with  the 
earth,  about  which  the  Bible  gives  us  any  instruc- 
tion, or  history  any  record.  But  is  there  nowhere 
any  other  ?  This  was  the  sanctuary  of  the  first 
covenant  ;  with  that  covenant  it  came  to  an  end  ; 
is  there  no  sanctuary  which  pertains  to  the  second 


222  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

or  new  covenant  ?  There  must  be ;  otherwise  there 
is  no  analogy  between  these  covenants ;  and  in  this 
case,  the  first  covenant  had  a  system  of  worship, 
which,  though  minutely  described,  is  unintelligible, 
and  the  second  covenant  has  a  system  of  worship 
which  is  indefinite  and  obscure.  And  Paul  virtu- 
ally asserts  that  the  new  cove  nant,  in  force  since 
the  death  of  Christ  the  testator,  has  a  sanctuary ; 
for  when,  in  contrasting  the  two  covenants,  as  he 
does  in  the  book  of  Hebrews,  he  says  in  chapter 
1) :  1,  that  the  first  covenant  "  had  also  ordinances 
of  divine  service,  and  a  worldly  sanctuary,"  it  is 
the  same  as  saying  that  the  new  covenant  has  like- 
wise its  services  and  its  sanctuary.  Furthermore, 
in  verse  8  of  this  chapter,  he  speaks  of  the  worldly 
sanctuary  as  the  first  tabernacle.  If  that  was  the 
first,  there  must  be  a  second ;  and  as  the  first  tab- 
ernacle existed  so  long  as  the  first  covenant  was  in 
force,  when  that  covenant  came  to  an  end,  the  sec- 
ond tabernacle  must  have  taken  the  place  of  the 
first,  and  must  be  the  sanctuary  of  the  new  cove- 
nant. There  can  be  no  evading  this  conclusion. 

Where,  then,  shall  we  look  for  the  sanctuary  of 
the  new  covenant  ?  Paul,  by  the  use  of  the  word 
also,  in  verse  1  of  Hebrews  9,  intimates  that  he 
had  before  spoken  of  this  sanctuary.  We  turn 
back  to  the  beginning  of  the  previous  chapter  and 
find  him  summing  up  his  foregoing  arguments  as 
follows :  "  Now  of  the  things  which  we  have  spo- 
ken this  is  the  sum :  We  have  such  an  High  Priest, 
who  is  set  on  the  right  hand  of  the  throne  of  the 


CHAPTER   nil,  VEM&EX.13,  14,  953 

Majesty  in  the  Heavens  ;  a  minister  of  the  sanct- 
uary, and  of  the  true  tabernacle,  which  the  Lord 
pitched,  and  not  man."  Can  there  be  any  doubt 
that  we  here  have  the  sanctuary  of  the  new  cove- 
nant ?  A  plain  allusion  is  here  made  to  the  sanct- 
uary of  the  first  covenant.  That  was  pitched  by 
man,  erected  by  Moses ;  this  was  pitched  by  the 
Lord,  not  by  man.  That  was  the  place  where  the 
earthly  priests  performed  their  ministry ;  this  is 
the  place  where  Christ,  the  High  Priest  of  the  new 
covenant,  performs  his  ministry.  That  was  on 
earth  ;  this  is  in  Heaven.  That  was  very  properly 
therefore  called  by  Paul  a  worldly  sanctuary ;  this 
is  a  heavenly. 

This  view  is  further  sustained  by  the  fact  that 
the  sanctuary  built  by  Moses,  was  not  an  original 
structure,  but  was  built  after  a  pattern.  The  great 
original  existed  somewhere  else ;  what  Moses  con- 
structed was  but  a  type  or  model.  Listen  to  the 
directions  the  Lord  gave  him  on  this  point:  "Ac- 
cording to  all  that  I  show  thee,  after  the  pattern  of 
the  tabernacle,  and  the  pattern  of  all  the  instru- 
ments thereof,  even  so  shall  ye  make  it."  Ex. 
25  : 9.  "  And  look  that  thou  make  them  after  their 
pattern,  which  was  showed  thee  in  the  mount." 
Verse  40.  To  the  same  end  see  Ex.  26  : 30 ;  27  : 8; 
Acts  7 : 44. 

Now  of  what  was  the  earthly  sanctuary  a  type 
or  figure  ?  Answer.  Of  the  sanctuary  of  the  new 
covenant,  the  "true  tabernacle,  which  the  Lord 
pitched,  and  not  man."  The  relation  which  the 


224  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

first  covenant  sustains  to  the  second  throughout,  is 
that  of  type  to  antitype.  Its  sacrifices  were  types 
of  the  greater  sacrifice  of  this  dispensation;  its 
priests  were  types  of  our  Lord,  in  his  more  perfect 
priesthood  ;  their  ministry  was  performed  unto  the 
shadow  and  example  of  the  ministry  of  our  High 
Priest  above ;  and  the  sanctuary,  where  they  min- 
istered, was  a  type  or  figure  of  the  true  sanctuary 
in  Heaven  where  our  Lord  performs  his  ministry. 

All  these  facts  are  plainly  stated  by  Paul  in  a 
few  verses  to  the  Hebrews.  Chapter  8  :  4,  5  :  "  For 
if  he  [Christ]  were  on  earth,  he  should  not  be  a 
priest,  seeing  that  there  are  priests  that  offer  gifts 
according  to  the  law ;  who  serve  unto  the  example 
and  shadow  of  heavenly  things,  as  Moses  was  ad- 
monished of  God  when  he  was  about  to  make  the 
tabernacle;  for,  See,  saith  he;  that  thou  make  all 
things  according  to  the  pattern  showed  to  thee  in 
the  mount."  This  testimony  shows  that  the  min- 
istry of  the  earthly  priests  was  a  shadow  of  Christ's 
priesthood;  and  the  evidence  Paul  brings  forward 
to  prove  it,  is  the  direction  which  God  gave  to 
Moses  to  make  the  tabernacle  according  to  the  pat- 
tern showed  him  in  the  mount.  This  clearly  iden- 
tifies the  pattern  showed  to  Moses  in  the  mount, 
with  the  sanctuary  or  true  tabernacle  in  Heaven, 
where  our  Lord  ministers,  mentioned  three  verses 
before. 

In  chapter  9 :  8,  9,  Paul  further  says :  "The  Holy 
Ghost  this  signifying,  that  the  way  into  the  holiest 
of  all  [Greek,  holy  places,  plural]  was  not  yet  made 


CHAPTER  VIII,  VERSES  IS,  14.  225 

manifest,  while  as  the  first  tabernacle  was  yet 
standing;  which  was  a  figure  for  the  time  then 
present,"  etc.  While  the  first  tabernacle  stood,  and 
the  first  covenant  was  in  force,  the  ministration  of 
the  more  perfect  tabernacle,  and  the  work  of  the  new 
covenant,  was  not  of  course  carried  forward.  But 
when  Christ  came  an  high  priest  of  good  things  to 
come,  when  the  first  tabernacle  had  served  its  pur- 
pose, and  the  first  covenant  had  ceased,  then  Christ, 
raised  to  the  throne  of  the  Majesty  in  the  Heavens 
as  a  minister  of  the  true  sanctuary,  entered  by  his 
own  blood,  says  verse  12,  "into  the  holy  place 
[where  also  the  Greek  has  the  plural,  the  holy 
places]  having  obtained  eternal  redemption  for  us." 
Of  these  heavenly  holy  places,  therefore,  the  first 
tabernacle  was  a  figure  for  the  tune  then  present. 
If  any  further  testimony  is  needed,  he  speaks,  in 
verse  22,  of  the  earthly  tabernacle,  with  its  apart- 
ments and  instruments,  as  patterns  of  things  in  the 
Heavens ;  and  in  verse  23,  he  calls  the  holy  places 
made  with  hands,  that  is,  the  earthly  tabernacle 
erected  by  Moses,  figures  of  the  true. 

This  view  is  still  further  corroborated  by  the  tes- 
timony of  John.  Among  the  things  which  he  was 
permitted  to  behold  in  Heaven,  he  saw  seven  lamps 
of  fire  burning  before  the  throne,  Rev.  4:5;  he  saw 
an  altar  of  incense,  and  a  golden  censer,  chapter  8  : 
3  ;  he  saw  the  ark  of  God's  testament,  chapter  11 : 
19 ;  and  all  this  in  connection  with  a  temple  in 
Heaven  ;  chapter  11  : 19  ;  15  :  8.  These  objects 
every  Bible  reader  must  at  once  recognize  as  imple- 

15 


226  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

ments  of  the  sanctuary.  They  owed  their  existence 
to  the  sanctuary,  and  were  confined  to  it,  to  be  em- 
ployed in  the  ministration  connected  therewith.  As 
without  the  sanctuary,  they  had  not  existed,  so 
wherever  we  find  these,  we  may  know  that  there  is 
the  sanctuary ;  and  hence  the  fact  that  John  saw 
these  things  in  Heaven  in  this  dispensation,  is  proof 
that  there  is  a  sanctuary  there,  and  that  he  was  per- 
mitted to  behold  it. 

However  reluctant  a  person  may  have  been  to 
acknowledge  that  there  is  a  sanctuary  in  Heaven, 
the  testimony  that  has  been  presented  is  certainly 
sufficient  to  prove  this  fact.  Paul  says  that  the  tab- 
ernacle of  Moses  was  the  sanctuary  of  the  first  cov- 
enant. Moses  says  that  God  showed  him  in  the 
mount  a  pattern,  according  to  which  he  was  to  make 
this  tabernacle.  Paul  testifies  again  that  Moses  did 
make  it  according  to  the  pattern,  and  that  the  pat- 
tern was  the  true  tabernacle  in  Heaven  which  the 
Lord  pitched,  and  not  man ;  and  that  of  this  heav- 
enly sanctuary,  the  tabernacle  erected  with  hands 
was  a  true  figure  or  representation.  And  finally 
John,  to  corroborate  the  statement  of  Paul  that  this 
sanctuary  is  hi 'Heaven,  bears  testimony,  as  an  eye- 
witness, that  he  beheld  it  there.  What  further  tes- 
timony could  be  required  ?  Nay,  more,  what  further 
is  conceivable  ? 

So  far  as  the  question  as  to  what  constitutes  the 
sanctuary,  is  concerned,  we  now  have  the  subject 
before  us  in  one  harmonious  whole.  The  sanctuary 
of  the  Bible — mark  it  all,  dispute  it  who  can — con- 


CHAPTER  VIII,  VERSES  13,  1£  227 

sists,  first,  of  the  typical  tabernacle  established  with 
the  Hebrews  at  the  exode  from  Egypt,  which  was 
the  sanctuary  of  the  first  covenant ;  and  secondly, 
of  the  true  tabernacle  in  Heaven  of  which  the  for- 
mer was  a  type  or  figure,  which  is  the  sanctuary  of 
the  new  covenant.  These  are  inseparably  connected 
together  as  type  and  antitype.  From  the  antitype 
we  go  back  to  the  type,  and  from  the  type  we  are 
carried  forward  naturally  and  inevitably  to  the 
antitype. 

We  have  said  that  Daniel  would  at  once  under- 
stand by  the  word  sanctuary,  the  sanctuary  of  his 
people  at  Jerusalem ;  so  would  any  one  under  that 
dispensation.  But  does  the  declaration  of  Daniel 
8  : 14,  have  reference  to  that  sanctuary?  That  de- 
pends upon  the  time  to  which  it  applies.  Whatever 
declarations  respecting  the  sanctuary  apply  under 
the  old  dispensation,  they  have  respect  to  the  sanct- 
uary of  that  time ;  and  whatever  declarations  ap- 
ply in  this  dispensation,  they  have  reference  to  the 
sanctuary  of  this  dispensation.  If  the  2300  days, 
at  the  termination  of  which  the  sanctuary  is  to  be 
cleansed,  ended  in  the  former  dispensation,  the 
sanctuary  to  be  cleansed  wras  the  sanctuary  of  that 
time.  If  they  reach  over  into  this  dispensation,  the 
sanctuary  to  which  reference  is  made,  is  the  sanctu- 
ary of  this  time.  This  is  a  point  which  can  only 
be  determined  by  a  further  argument  on  the  2300 
days.  What  we  have  thus  far  said  respecting  the 
sanctuary  has  been  only  incidental  to  the  main 
question  in  the  prophecy.  That  question  has  re- 


228  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

spect  to  its  cleansing.  Unto  2SOO  days,  then  shall 
the  sanctuary  be  cleansed.  But  it  was  necessary 
first  to  determine  what  constituted  the  sanctuary 
before  we  could  understandingly  examine  the  ques- 
tion of  its  cleansing.  For  this  we  are  now  pre- 
pared. 

Having  learned  what  constitutes  the  sanctuary } 
the  question  of  its  cleansing  and  how  it  is  accom- 
plished, is  soon  decided.  It  has  been  noticed  that 
whatever  constitutes  the  sanctuary  of  the  Bible, 
must  have  some  service  connected  with  it  which  is 
called  its  cleansing.  There  is  no  account  in  the  Bi- 
ble of  any  such  work  as  pertaining  to  this  earth, 
the  land  of  Canaan,  or  the  church ;  which  is  good 
evidence  that  none  of  these  objects  constitutes 
the  sanctuary;  there  is  such  a  service  connected 
with  the  object  which  we  have  shown  to  be  the 
sanctuary,  and  which  in  reference  to  both  the 
earthly  building,  and  the  heavenly  temple,  is  called 
its  cleansing. 

Does  the  reader  object  to  the  idea  of  there  being 
anything  in  Heaven  which  is  to  be  cleansed  ?  Is 
this  a  barrier  in  the  way  of  his  receiving  the  view 
here  presented  ?  Then  his  controversy  is  with 
Paul,  who  positively  affirms  this  fact.  But  before 
he  decides  against  the  apostle,  we  ask  the  objector 
to  examine  carefully  in  reference  to  the  nature  of 
this  cleansing,  as  he  is  here  undoubtedly  laboring 
under  an  utter  misapprehension.  The  following- 
are  the  plain  terms  in  which  Paul  affirms  the  cleans- 
ing of  both  the  earthly  and  the  heavenly  sanctuary : 


CHAPTER  VIII,  VERSES  13,  14, 


229 


"  And  almost  all  things  are  by  the  law  purged  with 
blood ;  and  without  shedding  of  blood  is  no  remis- 
sion. It  was  therefore  necessary  that  the  patterns 
of  things  in  the  Heavens  should  be  purified  with 
these ;  but  the  heavenly  things  themselves  with  bet- 
ter sacrifices  than  these."  Heb.  9  : 22,  23.  In  the 
light  of  foregoing  arguments,  this  may  be  para- 
phrased thus :  "  It  was  therefore  necessary  that  the 
tabernacle,  as  erected  by  Moses,  with  its  sacred  ves- 
sels, which  were  patterns  of  the  true  sanctuary  in 
Heaven,  should  be  purified,  or  cleansed,  with  the 
blood  of  calves  and  goats ;  but  the  heavenly  things 
themselves,  the  true  tabernacle  which  the  Lord 
pitched,  and  not  man,  must  be  cleansed  with  better 
sacrifices,  even  with  the  blood  of  Christ." 

We  now  inquire,  What  is  the  nature  of  this 
cleansing,  and  how  is  it*  to  be  accomplished  ?  Ac- 
cording to  the  language  of  Paul,  just  quoted,  it  is 
performed  by  means  of  blood.  The  cleansing  is  not 
therefore,  a  cleansing  from  physical  unclean  ness  or 
impurity ;  for  blood  is  not  the  agent  used  in  such  a 
work.  And  this  consideration  should  satisfy  the 
objector's  mind  in  regard  to  the  cleansing  of  the  heav- 
enly things.  The  fact  that  Paul  speaks  of  heavenly 
things  to  be  cleansed,  does  not  prove  that  there  is 
any  physical  impurity  in  Heaven ;  for  that  is  not 
the  kind  of  cleansing  of  which  he  speaks.  The 
reason  Paul  assigns  why  this  cleansing  is  performed 
with  blood,  is  because  without  the  shedding  of  blood 
there  is  no  remission.  Remission,  then,  that  is,  the 
putting  away  of  sin,  is  the  work  to  be  done.  The 


230  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

cleansing,  therefore,  is  not  physical  cleansing,  but  a 
cleansing  from  sin.  But  how  came  sins  attached  to 
the  sanctuary,  either  the  earthly  or  the  heavenly  ? 
This  can  be  ascertained  from  the  ministration  con- 
nected with  the  type,  to  which  we  now  turn. 

The  closing  chapters  of  Exodus  give  us  an  account 
of  the  construction  of  the  earthly  sanctuary,  and 
the  arrangement  of  the  service  connected  therewith. 
Leviticus  opens  with  an  account  of  the  ministration, 
which  was  there  to  be  performed.  All  that  is  to  our 
purpose  to  notice  here,  is  one  particular  branch  of 
the  service,  which  was  performed  as  follows  :  The 
person  who  had  committed  sin,  brought  his  victim 
to  the  door  of  the  tabernacle.  Upon  the  head  of  this 
victim,  for  a  moment,  he  placed  his  hand,  and,  as  we 
may  reasonably  infer,  confessed  over  him  his  sin. 
By  this  expressive  act,  he  signified  that  he  had 
sinned  and  was  worthy  of  death,  but  that  in  his 
stead  he  consecrated  his  victim,  and  transferred  his 
guilt  to  it.  With  his  own  hand  (and  what  must 
have  been  his  emotions  ?)  he  then  took  the  life  of 
his  victim  on  account  of  that  guilt.  The  law  de- 
manded the  life  of  the  transgressor  for  his  disobe- 
dience ;  the  life  is  in  the  blood ;  Lev.  17 : 11,  14  ; 
hence,  without  the  shedding  of  blood  there  is  no  re- 
mission ;  with  the  shedding  of  blood,  remission  is 
possible ;  for  the  law  demanded  life,  and  its  de- 
mand is  satisfied.  The  blood  of  the  victim,  repre- 
sentative of  a  forfeited  life,  and  the  vehicle  of  its 
guilt,  was  then  taken  by  the  priest  and  ministered 
before  the  Lord. 


CHAPTER  VIII,    VERSES  13,  14*  231 

The  sin  ot  the  individual  was  thus,  by  his  con- 
fession, by  the  slaying  of  the  victim  and  the  minis- 
try of  the  priest,  transferred  from  himself  to  the 
sanctuary.  Victim  after  victim  was  thus  offered 
by  the  people;  day  by  day  the  work  went  for- 
ward ;  and  thus  the  sanctuary  continually  became 
the  receptacle  of  the  sins  of  the  congregation.  But 
this  was  not  the  final  disposition  of  these  sins. 
This  accumulation  of  guilt  was  removed  by  a  spe- 
cial service  which  was  called  the  cleansing  of  the 
sanctuary.  This  service  in  the  type  occupied  one 
day  in  the  year ;  and  the  tenth  day  of  the  seventh 
month  on  which  it  was  performed,  was  called  the 
day  of  atonement.  On  this  day,  while  all  Israel 
refrained  from  work,  and  afflicted  their  souls,  the 
priest  brought  two  goats  and  presented  them  be- 
fore the  Lord  at  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the 
congregation.  On  these  goats  he  cast  lots ;  one  lot 
for  the  Lord,  and  the  other  lot  for  the  scape-goat. 
The  one  upon  which  the  Lord's  lot  fell,  was  then 
slain,  and  his  blood  was  carried  by  the  priest  into 
the  most  holy  place  of  the  sanctuary,  and  sprinkled 
upon  the  mercy-seat.  And  this  was  the  only  day 
on  which  he  was  permitted  to  enter  into  that 
apartment.  Coming  forth,  he  was  then  to  lay 
both  his  hands  upon  the  head  of  the  scape-goat, 
confess  over  him  all  the  iniquities  of  the  children 
of  Israel,  and  all  their  transgressions  in  all  their 
sins,  and,  thus  putting  them  upon  his  head,  Lev.  16  : 
21,  he  was  to  send  him  away  by  the  hand  of  a  fit 
man  into  a  land  not  inhabited,  a  land  of  separation 


232  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

or  forge tfulness,  the  goat  never  again  to  appear  in 
the  camp  of  Israel,  and  the  sins  of  the  people  to 
be  remembered  against  them  no  more.  This  serv- 
ice was  for  the  purpose  of  cleansing  the  people  from 
their  sins,  and  cleansing  the  sanctuary  and  its 
sacred  vessels.  Lev.  16:30,33.  By  this  process, 
sin  was  removed,  but  only  in  figure;  for  all  that 
work  was  typical. 

The  reader  to  whom  these  views  are  new  will 
be  ready  here  to  inquire,  perhaps  with  some  aston- 
ishment, what  this  strange  work  could  possibly  be 
designed  to  typify ;  what  there  is  in  this  dispensa- 
tion, which  it  was  designed  to  prefigure.  We  an- 
swer, A  work  in  the  ministration  of  Christ,  as  Paul 
clearly  teaches.  After  stating,  in  Hebrews  8,  that 
Christ  is  the  minister  of  the  true  tabernacle,  the 
sanctuary  in  Heaven,  he  states  that  the  priests  on 
earth  served  unto  the  example  and  shadow  of 
heavenly  things.  In  other  words,  the  work  of  the 
earthly  priests  was  a  shadow,  an  example,  a  correct 
representation,  so  far  as  it  could  be  carried  out  by 
mortals,  of  the  ministration  of  Christ  above.  These 
priests  ministered  in  both  apartments  of  the  earthly 
tabernacle ;  Christ  therefore  ministers  in  both  apart- 
ments of  the  heavenly  temple ;  for  that  temple  has 
two  apartments,  or  it  was  not  correctly  represented 
by  the  earthly,  and  our  Lord  officiates  in  both,  or 
the  service  of  the  priest  on  earth  was  not  a  correct 
shadow  of  his  work.  But  Paul  directly  states  that 
he  ministers  in  both  apartments ;  for  he  says  that 
he  has  entered  into  the  holy  place  (Greek,  plural, 


CHAPTER  VIII,  VERSES  IS,    14-  233 

holy  places)  by  his  own  blood.  Heb.  9:12.  There 
is,  therefore,  a  work  performed  by  Christ  in  his 
ministry  in  the  heavenly  temple,  corresponding  to 
that  performed  by  the  priests  in  both  apartments 
of  the  earthly  building.  But  the  work  in  the  sec- 
ond apartment,  or  most  holy  place,  was  a  special 
work,  to  close  the  yearly  round  of  service,  and 
cleanse  the  sanctuary.  Therefore  Christ's  minis- 
tration in  the  second  apartment  of  the  heavenly 
sanctuary  must  be  a  work  of  like  nature,  and  con- 
stitute the  cleansing  of  that  sanctuary. 

As  through  the  sacrifices  of  the  former  dispensa- 
tion the  sins  of  the  people  were  transferred  in  fig- 
ure by  the  priests  to  the  earthly  sanctuary,  where 
those  priests  ministered;  so,  ever  since  Christ  as- 
cended to  be  our  intercessor  in  the  presence  of  his 
Father,  the  sins  of  all  those  who  legitimately  seek 
pardon  through  him,  are  transferred,  in  fact,  to  the 
heavenly  sanctuary  where  he  ministers.  Whether 
Christ  ministers  for  us  in  the  heavenly  holy  places 
with  his  own  blood  literally,  or  only  by  virtue  of 
its  merits,  we  need  not  stop  to  inquire.  Suffice  it 
to  say,  that  his  blood  has  been  shed,  and  through 
that  blood  we  have  remission  of  sins  in  fact,  which 
was  obtained  only  in  figure  through  the  blood  of 
calves  and  goats.  But  those  sacrifices  had  real 
virtue  in  this  respect :  they  signified  faith  in  a  real 
sacrifice  to  come ;  and  thus  those  who  employed 
them  have  an  equal  interest  in  the  work  of  Christ, 
with  those  who  come  to  him  by  faith  in  this  dis- 
pensation. 


234  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

This  continual  transfer  of  sins  to  the  heavenly 
sanctuary  (and  if  they  are  not  thus  transferred, 
will  any  one  in  the  light  of  the  types,  and  in  view 
of  the  language  of  Paul,  explain  the  nature  of  the 
work  of  Christ  in  our  behalf  ?) — this  continual 
transfer,  we  say,  of  sins  to  the  heavenly  sanctuary, 
makes  its  cleansing  necessary  on  the  same  ground 
that  a  like  work  was  required  in  the  earthly  sanct- 
uary. 

An  important  distinction  between  the  two  min- 
istrations must  here  be  noticed:  In  the  earthly 
tabernacle,  a  complete  round  of  service  was  accom- 
plished every  year.  For  three  hundred  and  fifty- 
nine  days,  in  their  ordinary  years,  the  ministration 
went  forward  in  the  first  apartment.  One  day's 
work  in  the  mpst  holy,  completed  the  yearly  round. 
The  work  then  commenced  again  in  the  holy  place, 
and  went  forward  till  another  day  of  atonement 
completed  the  year's  work.  And  so  on,  yeai*  by 
year.  This  continual  repetition  of  the  work  was 
necessary  on  account  of  the  short  lives  of  mortal 
priests.  But  no  such  necessity  exists  in  the  case 
of  our  divine  Lord,  who  ever  liveth  to  make  in- 
tercession for  us.  See  Heb.  7  : 23-25.  Hence  the 
work  of  the  heavenly  sanctuary,  instead  of  being 
a  yearly  work,  is  performed  once  for  all.  Instead 
of  being  repeated  year  by  year,  one  grand  cycle 
is  allotted  to  it,  in  which  it  is  carried  forward,  and 
finished,  never  to  be  repeated. 

One  year's  round  of  service,  in  the  earthly  sanct- 
uary, represented  the  entire  work  of  the  sanctuary 


CHAl'TER  VIII,   VERSES  IS,  14.  235 

above.  In  the  type,  the  cleansing  of  the  sanctuary 
was  the  brief  and  closing  work  of  the  year's  serv- 
ice. In  the  antitype,  the  cleansing  of  the  sanct- 
uary must  be  the  closing  work  of  Christ,  our  grea-t 
High  Priest,  in  the  tabernacle  on  high.  In  the 
type,  to  cleanse  the  sanctuary  the  high  priest  en- 
tered into  the  most  holy  place  to  minister  in  the 
presence  of  God  before  the  ark  of  his  testament. 
In  the  antitype,  when  the  time  comes  for  the 
cleansing  of  the  sanctuary,  our  High  Priest,  in  like 
manner  enters  into  the  most  holy  place  to  make  a 
final  end  of  his  intercessory  work  in  behalf  of  man- 
kind. We  confidently  affirm  that  no  other  conclu- 
sion can  be  arrived  at  on  this  subject,  without  do- 
ing despite  to  the  holy  word  of  God. 

Reader,  do  you  see  the  importance  of  this  sub- 
ject? Do  you  begin  to  perceive  what  an  object  of 
interest  for  all  the  world  is  the  sanctuary  of  God  ? 
Do  you  see  that  the  whole  work  of  salvation  cen- 
ters there ;  and  that  when  the  work  is  done,  proba- 
tion is  ended,  and  the  cases  of  the  saved  and  lost 
are  eternally  decided  ?  Do  you  see  that  the  cleans- 
ing of  the  sanctuary  is  a  brief  and  special  work  by 
which  the  great  scheme  is  forever  finished  ?  Do 
you  see  that  if  it  can  be  made  known  when  this 
work  of  cleansing  commences,  it  is  a  solemn  an- 
nouncement to  the  world  that  salvation's  last  hour 
is  reached,  and  is  fast  hastening  to  its  close  ?  And 
this  is  what  the  prophecy  is  designed  to  show.  It 
is  to  make  known  the  commencement  of  this  mo- 
mentous work:  "Unto  two  thousand  three  hun- 
dred days,  then  shall  the  sanctuary  be  cleansed." 


236 


THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 


In  advance  of  any  argument  on  the  nature  and 
application  of  these  days,  the  position  may  be 
safely  taken  that  they  reach  to  the  cleansing  of 
the  heavenly  sanctuary,  for  the  earthly  was  to  be 
cleansed  each  year ;  and  we  make  the  prophet  ut- 
ter nonsense,  if  we  understand  hirn  as  saying  that 
at  the  end  of  2300  days,  a  period  of  time  over  six 
years  in  length,  even  if  we  take  them  literally,  an 
event  should  take  place  which  was  to  occur  regu- 
larly every  year.  It  is  the  heavenly  sanctuary  in 
which  the  decision  of  all  cases  is  to  be  rendered. 
The  progress  of  the  work  there,  is  what  especially 
concerns  mankind  to  know.  If  people  understood 
the  bearing  of  these  subjects  on  their  eternal  inter- 
ests, with  what  earnestness  and  anxiety  would 
they  give  them  their  most  careful  and  prayerful 
study.  See  on  verse  20  and  onward,  of  chapter  9, 
an  argument  on  the  2300  days,  at  the  end  of  which 
this  sanctuary  is  to  be  cleansed. 

VERSE  15.  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  I,  even  I  Daniel, 
had  seen  the  vision,  and  sought  for  the  meaning,  then,  be- 
hold, there  stood  before  me  as  the  appearance  of  a  man. 
16.  And  I  heard  a  man's  voice  between  the  banks  of  Ulai, 
which  called,  and  said,  Gabriel,  make  this  man  to  under- 
stand the  vision. 

We  now  enter  upon  an  interpretation  of  the  vis- 
ion. And  first  of  all  we  have  mention  of  Daniel's 
solicitude,  and  his  efforts  to  understand  these  things. 
He  sought  for  the  meaning.  Those  who  have  had 
most  experience  in  reference  to  prophetic  subjects, 
are  not  the  ones  who  are  unconcerned  in  such  mat- 


CHAPTER   VIII,  VEMSES  16,  16.  237 

ters.  They  only  can  tread  with  indifference  over  a 
mine  of  gold,  who  do  not  know  that  a  bed  of  the 
precious  metal  lies  beneath  their  feet.  Immedi- 
ately there  stood  before  the  prophet  as  the  appear- 
ance of  a  man.  It  does  not  say  it  was  a  man,  as 
some  would  fain  have  us  think,  who  wish  to  prove 
that  angels  are  dead  men,  and  who  resort  to  such 
texts  as  this  for  their  evidence.  It  says,  The  ap- 
pearance of  a  man ;  from  which  we  are  evidently 
to  understand  an  angel  in  human  form.  And  he 
heard  a  man's  voice ;  that  is,  the  voice  of  an  angel, 
as  of  a  man,  speaking.  The  commandment  given 
was,  to  make  this  man,  Daniel,  understand  the  vis- 
ion. It  was  addressed  to  Gabriel,  a  name  that  sig- 
nifies, "  the  mighty  one."  He  continues  his  instruc- 
tion to  Daniel  in  chapter  9  ;  and  under  the  new  dis- 
pensation, he  was  commissioned  to  announce  the 
birth  of  John  the  Baptist  to  his  father,  Zacharias, 
Luke  1:11 ;  and  that  of  the  Messiah  to  the  virgin 
Mary,  verse  26.  To  Zacharias,  he  introduced  him- 
self with  these  words  :  "  I  am  Gabriel  that  stand  in 
the  presence  of  God."  From  this  it  appears  that 
he  was  an  angel  of  a  high  order  and  superior  dig- 
nity ;  but  the  one  who  addressed  him  was  evidently 
above  him  in  rank,  and  had  power  to  command 
and  control  his  actions.  This  was  probably  no 
other  than  the  archangel  Michael,  or  Christ,  be- 
tween whom  and  Gabriel,  alone,  a  knowledge  of 
the  matters  communicated  to  Daniel  existed.  See 
chapter  10 :  21. 

VERSE  17.   So  he  came  near  where  I  stood ;  and  when  he 


238  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

came,  I  was  afraid,  and  fell  upon  my  face  ;  but  he  said  unto 
me,  Understand,  O  son  of  man ;  for  at  the  time  of  the  end 
shall  be  the  vision.  18.  Now  as  he  was  speaking  with  me, 
1  was  in  a  deep  sleep  on  my  face  toward  the  ground ;  but  he 
touched  me,  and  set  me  upright.  19.  And  he  said,  Behold, 
I  will  make  thee  know  what  shall  be  in  the  last  end  of  the 
indignation  ;  for  at  the  time  appointed  the  end  shall  be. 

Under  similar  circumstances  to  the  ones  here 
narrated,  John  fell  down  before  the  feet  of  an  an- 
gel ;  f  but  it  was  for  the  purpose  of  worship ;  Rev. 
19:10;  22:8.  Daniel  seems  to  have  been  com- 
pletely overcome  by  the  majesty  of  the  heavenly 
messenger.  He  prostrated  himself  with  his  face  to 
the  ground,  probably  as  though  in  a  deep  sleep,  but 
not  really  so.  Sorrow,  it  is  true,  caused  the  disci- 
ples to  sleep ;  but  fear,  as  in  this  case,  would  hardly 
seem  to  have  that  effect.  The  angel  gently  laid  his 
hand  upon  him  to  give  him  assurance  (how  many 
times  have  mortals  been  told  by  heavenly  beings  to 
"fear  not"!),  and  from  his  helpless  and  prostrate 
condition  set  him  upright.  With  a  general  state- 
ment that  at  the  time  appointed  the  end  shall  be, 
and  that  he  will  make  him  know  what  shall  be  in 
the  last  end  of  the  indignation,  he  enters  upon  an 
interpretation  of  the  vision.  We  understand  that 
the  indignation  covers  a  period  of  time.  What 
time?  God  told  his  people  Israel  that  he  would 
pour  upon  them  his  indignation  for  their  wicked- 
ness ;  and  thus  he  gave  directions  concerning  the 
"  profane  wicked  prince  of  Israel : "  "  Remove  the 
diadem,  and  take  off  the  crown.  ...  I  will  over- 
turn, overturn,  overturn  it :  and  it  shall  be  no  more, 


CHAPTER    VIII,  VERSES  20-22,  239 

until  he  come  whose  right  it  is ;  and  I  will  give  it 
him."     Eze.  21:25-27,31. 

Here  is  the  period  of  God's  indignation  against  his 
covenant  people ;  the  period  during  which  the  sanct- 
uary and  host  are  to  be  trodden  under  foot.  The 
diadem  was  removed,  and  the  crown  taken  off,  when 
Israel  was  subjected  to  the  kingdom  of  Babylon.  It 
was  overturned  again  by  the  Medes  and  Persians, 
again  by  the  Grecians,  again  by  the  Romans,  corre- 
sponding to  the  three  times  the  word  is  repeated  by 
the  prophet.  The  Jews  then  having  rejected  Christ, 
were  soon  scattered  abroad  over  the  face  of  the 
earth;  and  spiritual  Israel  has  taken  the  place  of 
the  literal  seed  ;  but  they  are  in  subjection  to  earthly 
powers,  and  will  be  till  the  throne  of  David  is  again 
set  up,  till  He  who  is  its  rightful  heir,  the  Messiah, 
the  Prince  of  peace,  shall  come ;  and  then  it  will  be 
given  him.  Then  the  indignation  will  have  ceased. 
What  shall  take  place  in  the  last  end  of  this  period, 
the  angel  is  to  make  known  to  Daniel. 

VERSE  20.  The  ram  which  thou  sawest  having  two  horns 
are  the  kings  of  Media  and  Persia.  21.  And  the  rough 
goat  is  the  king  of  Grecia  ;  and  the  great  horn  that  is  be- 
tween Ms  eyes  is  the  first  king.  22.  Now  that  being  broken, 
whereas  four  stood  up  for  it,  four  kingdoms  shall  stand  up 
out  of  the  nation,  but  not  in  his  power. 

As  the  disciples  said  to  the  Lord,  so  we  may  here 
say  of  the  angel  who  spake  to  Daniel,  Lo,  now 
speakest  thou  plainly,  and  speakest  no  parable. 
This  is  an  explanation  of  the  vision  in  language  as 
plain  as  need  be  given.  See  on  verses  3-8.  The 


240  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

distinguishing  feature  of  the  Persian  Empire,  the 
union  of  the  two  nationalities  which  composed  it,  is 
represented  by  the  two  horns  of  the  ram.  Grecia 
attained  its  greatest  glory,  as  a  unit,  under  the  lead- 
ership of  perhaps  as  vile  a  man  and  as  great  a  king 
as  the  world  has  ever  seen.  This  part  of  her  history 
is  represented  by  the  first  phase  of  the  goat,  the  one 
notable  horn,  symbolizing  Alexander  the  Great. 
Upon  his  death,  the  kingdom  fell  into  fragments, 
but  almost  immediately  consolidated  into  four  grand 
divisions,  represented  by  the  second  phase  of  the 
goat,  the  four  horns,  which  came  up  in  the  place  of 
the  first  which  was  broken.  These  divisions  did  not 
stand  in  his  power.  None  of  them  possessed  the 
strength  of  the  original  kingdom.  These  great 
waymarks  in  history,  on  which  the  historian  bestows 
volumes,  the  inspired  penman  here  gives  us  in  sharp 
outline,  with  a  few  strokes  of  the  pencil  and  a  few 
dashes  of  the  pen. 

VERSE  23.  And  in  the  latter  time  of  their  kingdom,  when 
the  transgressors  are  come  to  the  full,  a  king  of  fierce  coun- 
tenance, and  understanding  dark  sentences,  shall  stand  up. 
24.  And  his  power  shall  be  mighty,  but  not  by  his  own 
power  ;  and  he  shall  destroy  wonderfully,  and  shall  prosper, 
and  practice,  and  shall  destroy  the  mighty  and  the  holy 
people.  25.  And  through  his  policy  also  he  shall  cause 
craft  to  prosper  in  his  hand  ;  and  he  shall  magnify  himself 
in  his  heart,  and  by  peace  shall  destroy  many  ;  he  shall  also 
stand  up  against  the  Prince  of  princes  ;  but  he  shall  be 
broken  without  hand. 

This  power  succeeds  to  the  four  divisions  of  the 
goat  kingdom  in  the  latter  time  of  their  kingdom, 


CHAPTER   VIII,  VERSES  23-25.  24] 

that  is,  toward  the  termination  of  their  career.  It 
is,  of  course,  the  same  as  the  little  horn  of  verse  9, 
and  onward.  Apply  it  to  Rome,  as  set  forth  in  re- 
marks on  verse  9,  and  all  is  harmonious  and  clear. 
A  king  of  fierce  countenance.  Moses,  in  predicting 
punishment  to  come  upon  the  Jews  from  this  same 
power,  rails  it  "a  nation-  of  fierce  countenance." 
Deut.  28  :4I),  oO.  No  people  made  a  more  formid- 
able appearance  in  warlike  array  than  the  Romans. 
"  Understanding  dark  sentences."  Moses,  in  the 
scripture  j  list  referred  to,  says,  "  Whose  tongue  thou 
shalt  not  understand."  This  could  not  be  said  of  the 
Babylonians,  Persians,  or  Greeks,  in  reference  to  the 
Jews  ;  for  the  Chaldean  and  Greek  languages  were 
used  to  a  greater  or  less  extent  in  Palestine.  This 
was  not  the  case,  however,  with  the  Latin. 

"  When  the  transgressors  are  come  to  the  full." 
All  along,  the  connection  between  God's  people  and 
their  oppressors  is  kept  in  view.  It  was  on  account 
of  the  transgressions  of  his  people  that  they  were 
sold  into  captivity.  And  their  continuance  in  sin 
brought  more  and  more  severe  punishment.  At  no 
time  were  the  Jews  more  corrupt,  morally,  as  a  na- 
tion, than  at  the  time  they  came  under  the  jurisdic- 
tion of  the  Romans. 

"  Mighty,  but  not  by  his  own  power."  The  suc- 
cess of  the  Romans  was  owing  largely  to  the  aid  of 
their  allies,  and  divisions  among  their  enemies,  of 
which  they  were  ever  ready  to  take  advantage. 
"  He  shall  destroy  wonderfully."  The  Lord  told  the 
Jews  by  the  prophet  Ezekiel  that  he  would  deliver 

16 


242  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 


them  to  men  who  were  "  skillful  to  destroy."  How 
full  of  moaning  is  such  a  description,  and  how  ap- 
plicable to  the  Romans  !  In  taking  Jerusalem,  they 
slew  eleven  hundred  thousand  Jews,  and  made 
ninety-seven  thousand  captives.  So  wonderfully  did 
they  destroy  this  once  mighty  and  holy  people. 

And  what  they  could  not  accomplish  by  force, 
they  secured  by  artifice.  Their  flatteries,  fraud,  and 
corruption,  were  as  fatal  as  their  thunderbolts  of 
war.  And  Rome,  finally,  in  the  person  of  one  of  its 
governors,  stood  up  against  the  JPrince  of  princes,  by 
giving  sentence  of  death  against  Jesus  Christ.  But 
it  shall  be  broken  without  hand ;  an  expression 
which  identifies  the  destruction  of  this  power  with 
the  smiting  of  the  image  of  chapter  2. 

VERSE  26.  And  the  vision  of  the  evening  and  the  morning 
which  was  told  is  true  ;  wherefore  shut  thou  up  the  vision  ; 
for  it  shall  be  for  many  days.  27.  And  I  Daniel  fainted, 
and  was  sick  certain  days  ;  afterward  I  rose  up,  and  did  the 
king's  business  ;  and  I  was  astonished  at  the  vision,  but 
none  understood  it. 

The  vision  of  the  evening  and  the  morning,  the 
2300  days.  In  view  of  the  long  period  of  oppres- 
sion, and  the  calamities  which  were  to  come  upon 
his  people,  Daniel  fainted  and  was  sick  certain  days. 
He  was  astonished  at  the  vision,  but  did  not  under- 
stand it.  Why  did  not  Gabriel  at  this  time  carry 
out  fully  his  instructions,  and  cause  Daniel  to  under- 
stand the  vision  ?  Because  Daniel  had  received  all 
that  he  could  then  bear.  Further  instruction  is 
therefore  deferred  to  a  future  time. 


IX. 


THE    SEVENTY   WEEKS. 

VEESE  1.  In  the  first  year  of  Darius  the  son  of  Ahasue- 
rus,  of  the  seed  of  the  Medes,  which  was  made  king  over  the 
realm  of  the  Chaldeans  ;  2  ;  In  the  first  year  of  his  reign,  I 
Daniel  understood  by  books  the  number  of  the  years,  where- 
of the  word  of  the  Lord  came  to  Jeremiah  the  prophet,  that 
he  would  accomplish  seventy  years  in  the  desolations  of  Je- 
rusalem. 

The  vision  recorded  in  the  preceding  chapter  was 
given  in  the  third  year  of  Belshazzar,  B.  c.  553. 
The  events  narrated  in  this  chapter  occurred  in  the 
first  year  of  Darius,  B.  c.  538.  A  period  of  fifteen 
years  is  consequently  passed  over  between  these  two 
chapters.  Although  Daniel  was  cumbered  with 
cares  and  burdens,  as  prime  minister  of  the  fore- 
most kingdom  on  the  face  of  the  earth,  he  did  not 
let  this  deprive  him  of  the  privilege  of  studying 
into  things  of  higher  moment,  even  the  purposes  of 
God,  as  revealed  to  his  prophets.  He  understood 
by  the  books,  that  is,  the  writings  of  Jeremiah,  that 
God  would  accomplish  seventy  years  in  the  captiv- 
ity of  his  people.  This  prediction  is  found  in  Jer. 
25  : 12 ;  29 : 10.  The  knowledge  of  it,  and  the  use 
that  was  made  of  it,  shows  that  Jeremiah  was  early 
regarded  as  a  divinely-inspired  prophet ;  otherwise 

(243) 


244  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

his  writings  would  not  have  been  so  soon  collected, 
and  so  extensively  copied.  Though  Daniel  was  for 
a  time  contemporary  with  him,  he  had  a  copy  of  his 
works  which  he  carried  with  him  in  his  captivity ; 
and  though  he  was  so  great  a  prophet  himself,  he 
was  not  above  studying  carefully  what  God  might 
reveal  to  others  of  his  servants.  Commencing  the 
seventy  years  B.  c.  606,  Daniel  understood  that  they 
were  now  drawing  to  a  termination ;  and  God  had 
even  commenced  the  fulfillment  by  overthrowing 
the  kingdom  of  Babylon. 

VERSE  3.  And  I  set  my  face  unto  the  Lord  God,  to  seek 
by  prayer  and  supplication,  with  fasting,  and  sackcloth,  and 
ashes. 

Because  God  has  promised,  we  are  not  released 
from  the  responsibility  of  beseeching  him  for  the 
fulfillment  of  his  word.  Daniel  might  have  rea- 
soned in  this  manner:  God  has  promised  to  release 
his  people  at  the  end  of  the  seventy  years ;  and  he 
will  accomplish  it;  I  need  not,  therefore,  concern 
myself  at  all  in  the  matter.  Daniel  did  not  thus 
reason ;  but  as  the  time  drew  near  for  the  accom- 
plishment of  the  word  of  the  Lord,  he  set  himself 
to  seek  the  Lord  with  all  his  heart.  And  how  ear- 
nestly he  engaged  in  the  work,  even  with  fasting, 
and  sackcloth,  and  ashes!  This  was  the  year,  prob- 
ably, in  which  he  was  cast  into  the  lion's  den ;  and 
the  prayer  of  which  we  here  have  an  account,  may 
have  been  the  burden  of  that  petition  which,  regard- 
less of  human  laws  to  the  contrary,  he  offered  before 
the  Lord  three  times  a  day. 


CHAPTER  IX,  VEftSES  4-14,  24-") 

VERSE  4.  And  I  prayed  unto  the  Lord  my  God,  and  made 
my  confession,  and  said,  O  Lord,  the  great  and  dreadful 
God,  keeping  the  covenant  and  mercy  to  them  that  love  him, 
and  to  them  that  keep  his  commandments. 

We  here  have  the  opening  of  Daniel's  wonderful 
prayer — a  prayer  expressing  such  humiliation  and 
contrition  of  heart,  tha.t  he  must  be  without  feeling 
who  can  read  it  unmoved.  He  commences  by  ac- 
knowledging the  faithfulness  of  God.  God  never 
fails  in  any  of  his  engagements  with  his  followers. 
It  was  not  from  any  lack  on  God's  part  in  defend- 
ing and  upholding  them,  that  the  Jews  were  then 
in  the  furnace  of  captivity,  but  only  on  account  of 
their  sins. 

VERSE  5.  We  have  sinned,  and  have  committed  iniquity, 
and  have  done  wickedly,  and  have  rebelled,  even  by  depart- 
ing from  thy  precepts  and  from  thy  judgments.  6.  Neither 
have  we  hearkened  unto  thy  servants  the  prophets,  which 
spake  in  thy  name  to  our  kings,  our  princes,  and  our  fathers, 
and  to  all  the  people  of  the  land.  7.  O  Lord,  righteousness 
belongeth  unto  thee,  but  unto  us  confusion  of  faces,  as  at  this 
day  ;  to  the  men  of  Judah,  and  to  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusa- 
lem, and  unto  all  Israel,  that  are  near,  and  that  are  far  off, 
through  all  the  countries  whither  thou  hast  driven  them,  be- 
cause of  their  trespass  that  they  have  trespassed  against  thee. 
8.  O  Lord,  to  us  belongeth  confusion  of  face,  to  our  kings, 
to  our  princes,  and  to  our  fathers,  because  we  have  sinned 
against  thee.  9.  To  the  Lord  our  God  belong  mercies  and 
forgivenesses,  though  we  have  rebelled  against  him  ;  10 ; 
Neither  have  we  obeyed  the  voice  of  the  Lord  our  God,  to 
walk  in  his  laws,  which  he  set  before  us  by  his  servants  the 
prophets.  11.  Yea,  all  Israel  have  transgressed  thy  law, 
even  by  departing,  that  they  might  not  obey  thy  voice  ; 
therefore  the  curse  is  poured  upon  us,  and  the  oath  that  is 


246  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

written  in  the  law  of  Moses  the  servant  of  God,  because  we 
have  sinned  against  him.  12.  And  he  hath  confirmed  his 
words,  which  he  spake  against  us,  and  against  our  judges 
that  judged  us,  by  bringing  upon  us  a  great  evil ;  for  under 
the  whole  heaven  hath  not  been  done  as  hath  been  done  up- 
on Jerusalem.  13.  As  it  is  written  in  the  law  of  Moses,  all 
this  evil  is  come  upon  us  ;  yet  made  we  not  our  prayer  be- 
fore the  Lord  our  God,  that  we  might  turn  from  our  iniqui- 
ties, and  understand  thy  truth.  14.  Therefore  hath  the  Lord 
watched  upon  the  evil,  and  brought  it  upon  us  ;  for  the  Lord 
our  God  is  righteous  in  all  his  works  which  he  doeth  ;  for  we 
obeyed  not  his  voice. 

So  much  of  Daniel's  prayer  is  employed  in  mak- 
ing a  full  and  heart-broken  confession  of  sin.  He 
vindicates  fully  the  course  of  the  Lord,  acknowl- 
edging their  sins  to  be  the  cause  of  all  their  calam- 
ities, as  God  had  threatened  them  by  the  prophet 
Moses.  And  he  does  not  discriminate  in  favor  of 
himself.  No  self-righteousness  appears  in  his  peti- 
tion. And  although  he  had  suffered  long  for  oth- 
ers' sins,  enduring  seventy  years  of  captivity  for 
the  wrongs  of  his  people,  he  meanwhile  having 
lived  a  godly  life,  arid  received  signal  honors  and 
blessings  from  the  Lord,  brings  no  accusations 
against  any  one  to  the  exclusion  of  others,  pleads 
no  sympathy  for  himself  as  a  victim  of  others' 
wrongs,  but  ranks  himself  in  with  the  rest,  and 
says,  We  have  sinned,  and  unto  us  belongs  confu- 
sion of  face.  And  he  acknowledges  they  had  not 
heeded  the  lessons  God  designed  to  teach  them  by 
their  afflictions,  by  turning  again  unto  him. 

An  expression  in  the  14th  verse  is  worthy  of 
especial  notice :  "  Therefore  hath  the  Lord  watched 


CHAPTER  /A',   VEKSES  15-19.  247 

upon  the  evil,  and  brought  it  upon  us."  Because 
sentence  against  an  evil  work  is  not  executed 
speedily,  therefore  the  hearts  of  the  sons  of  men 
are  fully  set  in  them  to  do  evil.  But  none  may 
think  that  the  Lord  does  not  see,  or  that  he  has 
forgotten.  His  retributions  will  surely  overtake 
the  transgressor,  against  whom  they  are  threatened, 
without  deviation,  and  without  fail  He  will  watch 
upon  the  evil,  and  in  his  own  good  time  will  bring 
it  to  pass. 

VERSE  15.  And  now,  O  Lord  our  God,  that  hast  brought 
thy  people  forth  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt  with  a  mighty 
hand,  arid  hast  gotten  thee  renown,  as  at  this  day ;  we  have 
sinned,  we  have  done  wickedly.  16.  O  Lord,  according  'to 
all  thy  righteousness,  I  beseech  thee,  let  thine  anger  and 
thy  fury  be  turned  away  from  thy  city  Jerusalem,  thy  holy 
mountain  :  because  for  our  sins,  and  for  the  iniquities  of  our 
fathers,  Jerusalem  and  thy  people  are  become  a  reproach  to 
all  that  are  about  us.  17.  Now  therefore,  O  our  God,  hear 
the  prayer  of  thy  servant,  and  his  supplications,  and  cause 
thy  face  to  shine  upon  thy  sanctuary  that  is  desolate,  for  the 
Lord's  sake.  18.  O  my  God,  incline  thine  ear,  and  hear ; 
open  thine  eyes,  and  behold  our  desolations,  and  the  city 
which  is  called  by  thy  name  :  for  we  do  not  present  our  sup- 
plications before  thee  for  our  righteousnesses,  but  for  thy 
great  mercies.  19.  O  Lord,  hear  ;  O  Lord,  forgive  ;  O  Lord, 
hearken  and  do  ;  defer  not,  for  thine  own  sake,  0  my  God  : 
for  thy  city  and  thy  people  are  called  by  thy  name. 

The  prophet  now  pleads  the  honor  of  the.  Lord's 
name  as  a  reason  why  he  desires  that  his  petition 
should  be  granted.  He  refers  to  the  fact  of  their 
deliverance  from  Egypt,  and  the  great  renown  that 
had  accrued  to  the  Lord's  name  for  all  his  wonder- 


THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 


ful  works  manifested  among  them.  All  this  would 
be  lost,  should  he  now  abandon  them  to  perish. 
Moses  uses  the  same  argument  in  pleading  for 
Israel.  Num.  14.  Not  that  God  is  moved  with 
motives  of  ambition  and  vain  glory  ;  but  when  his 
people  are  jealous  for  the  honor  of  his  name,  when 
they  evince  their  love  for  him  by  pleading  with 
him  to  work,  not  for  their  own  personal  benefit, 
but  for  his  own  glory  that  his  name  may  not  be 
reproached  and  blasphemed  among  the  heathen  — 
this  is  acceptable  with  him.  He  then  intercedes 
for  the  city  of  Jerusalem  called  by  his  name,  and 
his  holy  mountain,  to  which  he  has  had  such  love, 
and  beseeches  him  for  his  mercies'  sake,  to  let  his 
anger  be  turned  away.  Finally,  his  mind  centers 
upon  the  holy  sanctuary,  God's  own  dwelling-place 
upon  this  earth,  and  he  pleads  that  its  desolations 
may  be  repaired. 

Daniel  understood  the  seventy  years'  captivity  to 
be  near  their  termination.  From  his  allusion  to 
the  sanctuary,  it  is  evident  that  he  so  far  misun- 
derstood the  important  vision  given  him  fifteen 
years  before,  as  to  suppose  that  the  2300  days,  at 
the  termination  of  which  the  sanctuary  was  to  be 
cleansed,  expired  at  the  same  time.  This  misap- 
prehension was  at  once  corrected,  when  the  angel 
came  to  give  him  further  instruction  in  answer  to 
his  prayer,  the  narration  of  which  is  next  given. 

VERSE  20.  And  while  I  was  speaking,  and  praying,  and 
confessing  my  sin  and  the  sin  of  my  people  Israel,  and  pre- 
senting iny  supplication  before  the  Lord  my  God  for  the  holy 


VHAPTER  IX,   VEXSES  £0,  22.  249 

mountain  of  my  God  ;  21 ;  yea,  while  I  was  speaking  in 
prayer,  even  the  man  Gabriel,  whom  I  had  seen  in  the  vis- 
ion at  the  beginning,  being  caused  to  fly  swiftly,  touched  me 
about  the  time  of  the  evening  oblation, 

\Ve  here  have  the  result  of  Daniel's  supplication. 
He  is  suddenly  interrupted  by  a  heavenly  messen- 
ger. The  man  Gabriel,  appearing  again  as  he  had 
before,  in  the  form  of  a  man,  whom  Daniel  had 
seen  in  the  vision  at  the  beginning,  touched  him. 
A  very  important  question  is  here  to  be  determined. 
It  is  to  be  decided  whether  the  vision  of  chapter  8 
has  ever  been  explained,  and  can  ever  be  under- 
stood. The  question  is,  To  what  vision  does  Dan- 
iel refer  by  the  expression,  "  the  vision  at  the  be- 
ginning ? "  It  will  be  conceded  by  all  that  it  is  a 
vision  of  which  we  have  some  previous  mention, 
and  that  in  that  vision  we  shall  find  some  mention 
of  Gabriel.  We  must  go  back  beyond  this  ninth 
chapter ;  for  all  that  we  have  in  this  chapter  previ- 
ous to  this  appearance  of  Gabriel  is  simply  a  record 
of  Daniel's  prayer.  Looking  back,  then,  through 
previous  chapters,  we  find  mention  of  only  three 
visions  given  to  Daniel.  1.  The  interpretation  of 
the  dream  of  Nebuchadnezzar  was  given  in  a  night 
vision.  Chap.  2:19.  But  there  is  no  record  of  any 
angelic  agency  in  the  matter.  2.  The  vision  of 
chap.  7.  This  was  explained  to  Daniel  by  "  one  of 
them  that  stood  by;  probably  an  angel;  but  we 
have  no  information  as  to  what  angel ;  nor  is  there 
anything  in  that  vision  which  needed  further  ex- 
planation. 3.  The  vision  of  chapter  8.  Here  we 


250  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

find  some  particulars  which  show  this  to  be  the  vis- 
ion referred  to :  1.  Gabriel  is  brought  to  view  for 
the  first  and  only  previous  time  in  the  book.  2. 
He  was  commanded  to  make  Daniel  understand  the 
vision.  3.  Daniel,  at  the  conclusion,  says  he  did 
not  understand  it;  showing  that  Gabriel,  at  the 
conclusion  of  that  chapter,  had  not  fulfilled  his 
mission.  4.  There  is  no  place  in  all  the  Bible 
where  this  instruction  is  carried  out,  if  it  be  not  in 
chapter  9.  If,  therefore,  the  vision  of  chapter  8  is 
not  the  one  referred  to,  we  have  no  record  that 
Gabriel  ever  complied  with  the  instructions  given 
him,  or  that  that  vision  has  ever  been  explained.  5. 
The  instruction  which  the  angel  now  gives  to  Dan- 
iel, as  we  shall  see  from  the  following  verses,  does 
exactly  complete  what  was  lacking  in  chapter  8. 
These  considerations  prove  beyond  a  doubt  the  con- 
nection between  Daniel  8  and  9  ;  and  this  conclu- 
sion will  be  still  further  strengthened  when  we  come 
to  look  at  the  angel's  instructions. 

VERSE  22.  ,And  he  informed  me,  and  talked  with  me,  and 
said,  O  Daniel,  I  am  now  come  forth  to  give  thee  skill  and 
understanding.  23.  At  the  beginning  of  thy  supplications 
the  commandment  came  forth,  and  I  am  come  to  shew  thee  ; 
for  thou  art  greatly  beloved  ;  therefore  understand  the  mat- 
ter, and  consider  the  vision. 

The  manner  in  which  Gabriel  introduces  himself 
on  this  occasion,  shows  that  he  has  come  to  complete 
some  unfulfilled  mission.  It  can  be  nothing  less 
than  to  carry  out  the  instruction  to  make  this  man 
"understand  the  vision,"  as  recorded  in  chapter  8. 


CHAPTER  IX,  VERSES  22,  US.  251 

"  I  am  now  come  forth  to  give  thee  skill  and  under- 
standing." As  the  charge  still  rested  upon  him  to 
make  Daniel,  understand  ;  and  as  he  explained  to 
Daniel  hi  chapter  8,  all  that  he  could  then  bear,  and 
yet  he  did  not  understand  the  vision,  he  now  comes 
to  resume  his  work  and  complete  his  mission.  As 
soon  as  Daniel  commenced  his  fervent  supplication, 
the  commandment  came  forth  ;  that  is,  Gabriel  re- 
ceived instruction  to  visit  Daniel  and  impart  to  him 
the  requisite  information.  From  the  time  it  takes 
to  read  Daniel's  prayer  down  to  the  point  at  which 
Gabriel  made  his  appearance  upon  the  scene,  the 
reader  can  judge  of  the  speed  with  which  this  mes- 
senger was  dispatched  from  the  court  of  Heaven  to 
this  servant  of  God.  No  wonder,  Daniel  says,  that 
he  was  caused  to  fly  swiftly,  or  that  Ezekiel  com- 
pares the  movements  of  these  celestial  beings  to  a 
flash  of  lightning.  Eze.  1:14.  "Understand  the 
matter,"  he  says  to  him.  What  matter?  That, 
evidently,  which  he  did  not  before  understand,  as 
stated  in  the  last  verse  of  chapter  8.  "  Consider  the 
vision."  What  vision  ?  Not  the  interpretation  of 
Nebuchadnezzar's  image,  nor  the  vision  of  chapter  7  ; 
for  there  was  no  difficulty  with  either  of  these  ;  but 
the  vision  of  chapter  8,  in  reference  to  which  his 
mind  was  filled  with  doubt  and  astonishment.  "I 
am  come  to  show  thee,"  also,  said  the  angel.  Show 
thee  in  reference  to  what  ?  Certainly  in  reference 
to  something  wherein  he  was  entertaining  wrong 
ideas,  and  something,  at  the  same  time,  pertaining  to 
his  prayer  ;  as  it  was  this  which  had  called  forth 
Gabriel  on  his  mission  at  this  time. 


252  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

But  Daniel  had  no  difficulty  in  understanding 
what  the  angel  told  him  about  the  ram,  he-goat,  and 
little  horn,  the  kingdoms  of  Medo -Persia,  Greece, 
and  Rome.  Nor  was  he  mistaken  in  regard  to  the 
ending  of  the  seventy  years'  captivity.  But  the 
burden  of  his  petition  was  respecting  the  repairing  of 
the  desolations  of  the  sanctuary,  which  lay  in  ruins ; 
and  he  had  undoubtedly  drawn  the  conclusion  that 
when  the  end  of  the  seventy  years'  captivity  came, 
the  time  would  come  for  the  fulfillment  of  what  the 
angel  had  said  respecting  the  cleansing  of  the  sanct- 
uary at  the  end  of  the  2300  days.  Now  he  must  be 
set  right.  And  this  explains  why  at  this  particular 
time  instruction  should  be  sent  him  after  a  delay  of 
fifteen  years.  Now  the  seventy  years'  captivity 
were  drawing  to  their  close,  and  Daniel  was  apply- 
ing the  instruction  he  had  before  received  from  the 
angel,  to  a  wrong  issue.  He  was  falling  into  a 
misunderstanding,  and  was  acting  upon  it ;  hence 
he  must  not  be  suffered  longer  to  remain  ignorant  of 
the  true  import  of  the  former  vision.  "  I  am  come 
to  show  thee,"  "understand  the  matter,"  "consider 
the  vision."  Such  were  the  words  used  by  the  very 
person  Daniel  had  seen  in  the  former  vision,  and  to 
whom  he  had  heard  the  command  given,  "  Make  this 
man  to  understand  the  vision,"  and  who  he  knew 
had  never  carried  out  that  instruction.  But  now  he 
appears  and  says,  "I  am  now  come  forth  to  give 
thee  skill  and  understanding."  How  could  Daniel's 
mind  be  more  emphatically  carried  back  to  the  vis- 
ion of  chapter  8,  and  how  could  the  connection  be- 


CHAPTER  IX,   VERSES  22,  2S.  253 

tween  that  visit  of  the  angel  and  this,  be  more  dis- 
tinctly shown,  than  by  such  words  from  such  a 
person  ?  The  considerations  already  presented  are 
sufficient  to  show  conclusively  the  connection  be- 
tween Dan.  8  and  9  ;  but  this  will  still  further  ap- 
pear, in  subsequent  verses. 

One  expression  seems  worthy  of  notice  before  we 
leave  verse  23.  It  is  the  declaration  of  the  angel  to 
Daniel,  "  for  thou  art  greatly  beloved."  The  angel 
brought  this  declaration  direct  from  the  courts  of 
Heaven.  It  expressed  the  state  of  feeling  that  ex- 
isted there  in  regard  to  Daniel.  Think  of  celestial 
beings,  the  highest  in  the  universe,  the  Father,  the 
Son,  the  holy  angels,  having  such  regard  and  es- 
teem for  a  mortal  man  here  upon  earth,  as  to  au- 
thorize an  angel  to  bear  the  message  to  him  that  he 
was  greatly  beloved  !  This  is  one  of  the  highest 
pinnacles  of  glory  to  which  mortals  can  attain. 
Abraham  reached  another,  when  it  could  be  said  of 
him  that  he  was  the  "  friend  of  God."  Enoch,  an- 
other, when  it  could  be  said  of  him  that  he  "walked 
with  God."  Can  we  arrive  at  any  such  attain- 
ments ?  God  is  no  respecter  of  person ;  but  he  is  a 
respecter  of  character.  If  in  virtue  and  godliness 
we  could  equal  these  eminent  men,  we  could  move 
the  divine  love  to  equal  depths.  We,  too,  could  be 
greatly  beloved,  could  be  friends  of  God,  and  could 
walk  with  him.  And  we  must  be  in  our  generation 
what  they  were  in  theirs.  There  is  a  figure  used  in 
reference  to  the  last  church  which  denotes  the  closest 
union  with  God.  "  If  any  man  hear  my  voice,  and 


254  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

open  the  door,  I  will  come  in  to,  him,  and  will  sup 
with  him,  and  he  with  me."  Rev.  3  :  20.  To  sup 
with  the  Lord  denotes  an  intimacy  equal  to  being 
greatly  beloved  by  him,  walking  with  him,  or  being 
his  friend.  How  desirable  a  position  !  Alas  for  the 
evils  of  our  nature  which  cut  us  off  from  this  com- 
munion !  Oh  !  for  grace  to  overcome  these,  that  we 
may  enjoy  this  spiritual  union  here  and  finally  enter 
the  glories  of  his  presence  at  the  marriage  supper  of 
the  Lamb. 

VER-SE  24.  Seventy  weeks  are  determined  upon  thy  peo- 
ple and  upon  thy  holy  city,  .to  finish  the  transgression,  and 
to  make  an  end  of  sins,  and  to  make  reconciliation  for  iniq- 
uity, and  to  bring  in  everlasting  righteousness,  and  to  seal 
up  the  vision  and  prophecy,  and  to  anoint  the  Most  Holy. 

Such  are  the  first  words  the  angel  utters  to  Dan- 
iel, toward  imparting  to  him  that  instruction  which 
he  came  to  give.  Why  does  he  thus  abruptly  in- 
troduce a  period  of  time  ?  We  must  again  refer  to 
the  vision  of  chapter  8.  We  have  seen  that  Daniel 
at  the  close  of  that  chapter  says  that  he  did  not  un- 
derstand the  vision.  Some  portions  of  that  vision 
were  at  the  time  very  clearly  explained.  It  could 
not  have  been  these  portions  which  he  did  not  un- 
derstand. We  therefore  inquire  what  it  was  which 
Daniel  did  not  understand,  or,  in  other  words,  what 
part  of  the  vision  was  there  left  unexplained.  In 
that  vision  four  prominent  things  are  brought  to 
view.  1.  The  Ram.  2.  The  He-goat.  8.  The 
Little  Horn.  4.  The  period  of  the  2300  days. 
The  symbols  of  the  ram,  the  he-goat,  and  the  little 


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CHAP  TEH  IX,  VERSE  24.  255 

horn,  were  explained.  Nothing,  however,  was  said 
respecting  the  time.  This  must  therefore  have 
been  the  point  which  he  did  not  understand.  And 
as  without  this  the  other  portions  of  the  vision  were 
of  no  avail,  he  could  well  say,  while  the  application 
of  this  period  was  left  in  obscurity,  that  he  did  not 
understand  the  vision. 

If  this  view  of  the  subject  is  correct,  we  should 
naturally  expect,  when  the  angel  completed  his  ex- 
planation of  the  vision,  that  he  would  commence 
with  the  very  point  which  had  been  omitted, 
namely,  the  time.  And  this  we  find  to  be  true  in 
fact.  After  citing  Daniel's  attention  back  to  the 
former  vision  in  the  most  direct  and  emphatic 
manner,  and  assuring  him  that  he  had  now  come 
forth  to  give  him  understanding  in  the  matter,  he 
commences  upon  the  very  point  there  omitted,  and 
says,  "  Seventy  weeks  are  determined  upon  thy  peo- 
ple and  upon  thy  holy  city." 

But  how  does  this  language  show  any  connection 
with  the  2300  days,  or  throw  any  light  upon  that 
period?  We  answer,  The  language  cannot  be  in- 
telligibly referred  to  any  thing  else ;  for  the  word 
here  rendered  determined  signifies  "cut  off;"  and 
there  is  no  period  from  which  the  seventy  weeks 
could  be  cut  off,  but  the  2300  days  of  the  previous 
vision.  How  direct  and  natural,  then,  is  the  con- 
nection. Daniel's  attention  is  fixed  upon  the  2300 
days,  which  he  did  not  understand,  by  the  angel's 
directing  him  to  the  former  vision;  and  he  says, 
"  Seventy  weeks  are  cut  off."  Cut  oft'  from  what  ? 
The  2300  days  most  assuredly. 


256  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

Proof  may  be  called  for  that  the  word  rendered 
determined  signifies  to  cut  off'.  An  abundance  can 
be  given.  The  Hebrew  word  rendered  determined, 
is,  nechtak.  This  word  Gesenius  in  his  Hebrew 
Lexicon,  defines  as  follows :  "  Properly,  to  cut  off; 
tropically,  to  divide ;  and  so  to  determine,  to  decree." 
In  the  Chaldeo -Rabbinic  Dictionary  of  Stockius,  the 
word  nechtak  is  thus  defined :  "  Scidit,  abscidit,  con- 
scidit,  inscidit,  exscidit — to  cut,  to  cut  away,  to  cut 
in  pieces,  to  cut  or  engrave,  to  cut  off!'  Mercer  us, 
in  his  "  Thesaurus,"  furnishes  a  specimen  of  Rab- 
binical usage  in  the  phrase,  chatikah  shel  basar — "  a 
piece  of  flesh,"  or  "  a  cut  of  flesh."  He  translates 
the  word,  as  it  occurs  in  Dan.  9:24,  by"praecisa 
est,"  was  cut  off.  In  the  literal  version  of  Arias 
Montanus,  it  is  translated  "decisa  est," — was  cut 
off;  in  the  marginal  reading,  which  is  grammatically 
correct,  it  is  rendered  by  the  plural,  "  decisae  sunt," 
were  cut  off.  In  the  Latin  version  of  Junius  and 
Tremellius,  nechtak  (the  passive  of  chaihak}  is  ren- 
dered "  decisae  sunt,"  were  cut  off.  Again  in  Theo- 
dotion's  Greek  version  of  Daniel  (which  is  the  ver- 
sion used  in  the  Vatican  copy  of  the  Septuagint, 
as  being  the  most  faithful),  it  is  rendered  by 
cwET^rjaav  (sunetmethesari),  "were  cut  off;"  and 
in  the  Venetian  copy  by  re-//^™/.  (tetmentai),  "  have 
been  cut."  The  idea  of  cutting  off,  is  pursued  in 
the  Vulgate,  where  the  phrase  is  "  abbreviates  sunt," 
have  been  shortened. 

"Thus  Chaldaic  and  Rabbinical  authority,  and 
that  of  the  earliest  versions,  the  Septuagint  and 


CHAPTER  IX,  VERSE  24. 


257 


Vulgate,  give  the  single  signification  of  cutting  off, 
to  this  verb." 

"  Hengstenberg,  who  enters  into  a  critical  exami- 
nation of  the  original  text,  says :  But  the  very  use 
of  the  word,  which  does  not  elsewhere  occur,  while 
others,  much  more  frequently  used,  were  at  hand, 
if  Daniel  had  wished  to  express  the  idea  of  deter- 
mination, and  of  which  he  has  elsewhere,  and  even 
in  this  portion  availed  himself,  seems  to  argue  that 
the  word  stands  from  regard  to  its  original  mean- 
ing, and  represents  the  seventy  weeks  in  contrast 
with  a  determination  of  time  (en  platei)  as  a  pe- 
riod cut  off  from  subsequent  duration,  and  accu- 
rately limited." — Christology  of  the  Old  Testament, 
vol.  ii,  p.  301.  Washington,  1839. 

Why  then,  it  may  be  asked,  did  our  translators 
render  the  word,  determined,  when  it  so  obviously 
means  cut  off?  The  answer  is,  They  doubtless 
overlooked  the  connection  between  the  eighth  and 
ninth  chapters,  and  considering  it  improper  to  ren- 
der it  cut  off,  when  nothing  was  given  from  which 
the  seventy  weeks  could  be  cut  off,  they  gave  the 
word  its  tropical  instead  of  its  literal  meaning. 
But,  as  we  have  seen,  both  the  construction  and 
context  require  the  literal  meaning,  and  render  any 
other  inadmissible. 

Seventy  weeks,  then,  or  490  days  of  the  2300, 
were  cut  off  upon,  or  allotted  to,  Jerusalem  and  the 
Jews ;  and  the  events  which  were  to  be  consum- 
mated within  that  period  are  briefly  stated.  The 
transgression  was  to  be  finished.  That  is,  the  Jew- 

17 


258  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

ish  people  were  to  fill  up  the  cup  of  their  iniquity ; 
which  they  did  in  the  rejection  and  crucifixion 
of  Christ.  An  end  of  sins,  or  of  sin  offerings  was 
to  be  made.  This  took  place  when  the  great  offer- 
ing was  made  on  Calvary.  Reconciliation  for  in- 
iquity was  to  be  provided.  This  was  made  by  the 
sacrificial  death  of  the  Son  of  God.  Everlasting 
righteousness  was  to  be  brought  in ;  the  righteous- 
ness which  our  Lord  manifested  in  his  sinless  life. 
The  vision  and  the  prophecy  were  to  be  sealed  up, 
or  made  sure.  By  the  events  given  to  transpire  in 
the  seventy  weeks,  the  prophecy  is  tested.  By  this 
the  application  of  the  whole  vision  is  determined. 
If  the  events  of  this  period  are  accurately  fulfilled, 
the  prophecy  is  of  God,  and  will  all  be  accom- 
plished; and  if  these  seventy  weeks  are  fulfilled 
as  weeks  of  years,  then  the  2300  days,  of  which 
these  are  a  part,  are  so  many  years.  Thus  the 
events  of  the  seventy  weeks  furnish  a  key  to  the 
whole  vision.  And  the  most  holy  was  to  be 
anointed:  the  most  holy  of  the  heavenly  sanct- 
uary. In  the  examination  of  the  sanctuary,  on 
chapter  8 : 14,  we  saw  that  a  time  came  when  the 
earthly  sanctuary  gave  place  to  the  heavenly,  ana 
the  priestly  ministration  was  transferred  to  that. 
Before  the  ministration  in  the  sanctuary  com- 
menced, the  sanctuary  and  all  the  holy  vessels 
were  to  be  anointed.  Ex.  40:9,  10.  The  last 
event,  therefore,  of  the  seventy  weeks,  here  brought 
to  view,  is  the  anointing  of  the  heavenly  taberna- 
cle, or  the  opening  of  the  ministration  there.  Thus 


CHAPTER  IX,  VERKE  24.  259 

this  first  division  of  the  2300  days  brings  us  to  the 
commencement  of  the  service  in  the  first  apart- 
ment of  the  heavenly  sanctuary,  as  the  whole 
period  brings  us  to  the  commencement  of  the 
service  of  the  second. 

We  now  consider  the  argument  conclusive  that 
the  ninth  chapter  of  Daniel  is  connected  with  the 
eighth,  and  that  the  seventy  weeks  are  a  part  of 
the  2300  days ;  and  with  a  few  extracts  from  the 
writings  of  others  we  will  leave  this  point. 

The  Advent  Shield  in  1844  said: — 

"  We  call  attention  to  one  fact  which  shows  that  there  is 
a  necessary  '  connection  '  between  the  seventy  weeks  of  the 
ninth  chapter,  and  something  else  which  precedes  or  fol- 
lows it,  called  '  the  vision. '  It  is  found  in  the  24th  verse  : 
'  Seventy  weeks  are  determined,  are  cut  off,  upon  thy  peo- 
ple ...  to  seal  up  the  vision,'  etc.  Now  there  are  but  two 
significations  to  the  phrase  'seal  up.'  They  are,  first,  'to 
make  secret,'  and  second,  'to  make  sure.'  We  care  not 
now  in  which  of  these  significations  the  phrase  is  supposed 
to  be  used.  That  is  not  the  point  now  before  us.  Let  the 
signification  be  what  it  may,  it  shows  that  the  prediction  of 
the  seventy  weeks  necessarily  relates  to  something  else  be- 
yond itself,  '  called  the  vision,'  in  reference  to  which  it  per- 
forms this  work,  '  to  seal  up. '  To  talk  of  its  sealing  up  it- 
self is  as  much  of  an  absurdity  as  to  suppose  that  Josephus 
was  so  much  afraid  of  the  Romans  that  he  refrained  from 
telling  the  world  that  he  thought  the  fourth  kingdom  of 
Daniel  was  '  the  kingdom  of  the  Greeks. '  It  is  no  more 
proper  to  say  that  the  ninth  chapter  of  Daniel  *  is  complete 
in  itself,'  than  it  would  be  to  say  that  a  map  which  was  de- 
signed to  show  the  relation  of  Massachusetts  to  the  United 
States,  referred  to  nothing  but  Massachusetts.  It  is  no 
more  complete  in  itself  than  a  bond  given  in  security  for  a 


2(30  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

note,  or  some  other  document  to  which  it  refers,  is  complete 
in  itself ;  and  we  doubt  if  there  is  a  school-boy  of.  fourteen 
years  in  the  land,  of  ordinary  capacity,  who  would  not  on 
reading  the  ninth  chapter,  with  an  understanding  of  the 
clause  before  us,  decide  that  it  referred  to  something  dis- 
tinct from  itself,  called  the  vision.  What  vision  it  is,  there 
is  no  difficulty  in  determining.  It  naturally  and  obviously 
refers  to  the  vision  which  was  not  fully  explained  to  Daniel, 
and  to  which  Gabriel  calls  his  attention  in  the  preceding 
verse, — the  vision  of  the  8th  chapter.  Daniel  tells  us  that 
Gabriel  was  commanded  to  make  him  understand  that  vision 
(8  : 16).  This  was  not  fully  done  at  that  interview  connected 
with  the  vision  ;  he  is  therefore  sent  to  give  Daniel  the 
needed  'skill  and  understanding/  to  explain  its  'meaning' 
by  communicating  to  him  the  prediction  of  the  seventy 
weeks. " 

"  We  claim  that  the  ninth  of  Daniel  is  an  appendix  to  the 
eighth,  and  that  the  seventy  weeks  and  the  2300  days  or 
years  commence  together.  Our  opponents  deny  this." — Signs 
of  the  Times,  1843. 

"The  grand  principle  involved  in  the  interpretation  of 
the  2300  days  of  Dan.  8  : 14,  is  that  the  seventy  weuks  of 
Dan.  9  : 24,  are  the  first  490  days  of  the  2300  of  the  eighth 
chapter." — Advent  Shield,  p.  49. 

"  If  the  connection  between  the  seventy  weeks  of  Dan.  8, 
does  not  exist,  the  whole  system  is  shaken  to  its  foundation  ; 
if  it  does  exist,  as  we  suppose,  the  system  must  stand." — Har- 
mony of  the  Prophetic  Chronology,  p.  38. 

Says  the  learned  Dr.  Hales,  in  commenting  upon 
the  seventy  weeks,  "  This  chronological  prophecy 
was  evidently  designed  to  explain  the  foregoing 
vision,  especially  in  its  chronological  part  of  the 
2300  days."— ChronoL,  vol.  ii,  p.  517. 

VERSE  25.  Know  therefore  and  understand,  that  from  the 
going  forth  of  the  commandment  to  restore  and  to  build  Je- 


CHAPTER  IX,    VERSES  25-21.  261 

rusalem,  unto  the  Messiah  the  Prince,  shall  be  seven  weeks, 
and  threescore  and  two  weeks  :  the  street  shall  be  built 
again,  and  the  wall,  even  in  troublous  times.  26.  And  after 
threescore  and  two  weeks  shall  Messiah  be  cut  off,  but  not 
for  himself ;  and  the  people  of  the  prince  that  shall  come, 
shall  destroy  the  city  and  the  sanctuary  ;  and  the  end  thereof 
shall  be  with  a  flood,  and  unto  the  end  of  the  war  desola- 
tions are  determined.  27.  And  he  shall  confirm  the  cove- 
nant with  many  for  one  week  ;  and  in  the  midst  of  the  week 
he  shall  cause  the  sacrifice  and  oblation  to  cease,  and  for  the 
overspreading  of  abominations  he  shall  make  it  desolate, 
even  until  the  consummation,  and  that  determined  shall  be 
poured  upon  the  desolate. 

The  angel  now  gives  to  Daniel  the  event  which  is 
to  mark  the  commencement  of  the  seventy  weeks. 
They  were  to  date  from  the  going  forth  of  a  com- 
mandment to  restore  and  build  Jerusalem.  And  not 
only  is  the  event  given  which  was  to  determine  the 
time  of  the  commencement  of  this  period,  but  those 
events  also  which  were  to  transpire  at  its  close. 
Thus  a  double  test  is  provided  by  which  to  try  the 
application  of  this  prophecy.  But  more  than  this, 
the  period  of  seventy  -weeks  is  divided  into  three 
grand  divisions,  and  one  of  these  is  again  divided, 
and  the  intermediate  events  are  given  which  were  to 
mark  the  termination  of  each  one  of  these  divisions. 
If,  now,  we  can  find  a  date  which  will  harmonize 
with  all  these  events,  we  have,  be}Tond  a  doubt,  the 
true  application  ;  for  none  but  that  which  is  correct 
could  meet  and  fulfill  so  many  conditions.  Let  the 
reader  take  in  at  one  view  the  points  of  harmony  to 
be  made,  that  he  may  be  the  better  prepared  to 
guard  against  a  false  application.  First,  we  are  to 


262  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

find  at  the  commencement  of  the  period,  a  command- 
ment going  forth  to  restore  and  build  Jerusalem. 
To  this  work  of  restoration  seven  weeks  are  allotted. 
As  we  reach  the  end  of  this  first  division,  seven  weeks 
from  the  commencement,  we  are  to  find,  secondly, 
Jerusalem,  in  its  material  aspect,  restored,  the  work 
of  building  the  street  and  the  wall  fully  accom- 
plished. From  this  point,  sixty-two  weeks  are 
measured  off;  and  as  we  reach  the  termination  of 
this  division,  sixty-nine  weeks  from  the  beginning, 
we  are  to  see,  thirdly,  the  manifestation,  before  the 
world,  of  the  Messiah  the  Prince.  One  week  more 
is  given  us,  completing  the  seventy.  And,  fourthly, 
in  the  midst  of  this  week,  the  Messiah  is  to  be  cut 
off  and  cause  the  sacrifice  and  oblation  to  cease ;  and, 
fifthly,  when  the  last  week  of  that  period  which  was 
allotted  to  the  Jews  as  the  time  during  which  they 
were  to  be  the  special  people  of  God  expires,  we  nat- 
urally look  for  the  going  forth  of  the  blessing  and 
work  of  God  to  other  people. 

We  now  inquire  for  the  date  which  will  harmo- 
nize with  all  these  particulars.  The  command  was 
to  include  more  than  mere  building.  There  was  to 
be  restoration  ;  by  which  we  must  understand  all 
the  forms  and  regulations  of  civil,  political,  and  j  u- 
dicial  society.  When  did  such  a  command  go  forth  ? 
At  the  time  these  words  were  spoken  to  Daniel,  Je- 
rusalem lay  in  complete  and  utter  desolation,  and 
had  thus  been  lying  for  seventy  years.  The  restora- 
tion, pointed  to  in  the  future,  must  be  its  restoration 
from  this  desolation.  We  then  inquire,  When  and 


CHAPTER  IX,  VERSES  25-27.  263 

how  was  Jerusalem  restored  after  the  seventy  years' 
captivity  ? 

There  are  but  four  events  which  can  be  taken  as 
answering  to  the  commandment  to  restore  and  build 
Jerusalem.  These  are,  1.  The  decree  of  Cyrus  for 
the  re-building  of  the  house  of  God,  B.  c.  536.  Ez. 
1  : 1-4.  2.  The  decree  of  Darius  for  the  prosecution 
of  that  work  which  had  been  hindered,  B.  C.  519. 
Ez.  6  : 1-12.  3.  The  decree  of  Artaxerxes  to  Ezra, 
B.  c.  457.  Ezra  7.  4.  The  commission  to  Nehemiah 
from  the  same  king  in  his  twentieth  year,  B.  C.  444. 
Neh.  2. 

Dating  from  the  first  two  of  these  decrees,  the 
seventy  weeks,  being  weeks  of  years,  490  years  in 
all,  would  fall  many  years  short  of  reaching  even  to 
the  Christian  era  ;  besides,  these  decrees  had  refer- 
ence principally  to  the  restoration  of  the  temple  and 
the  temple- worship  of  the  Jews,  and  not  to  the  res- 
toration of  their  civil  state  and  polity,  all  of  which 
must  be  included  in  the  expression,  "  to  restore  and 
to  build  Jerusalem." 

These  made  a  commencement  of  the  work.  They 
were  preliminary  to  what  was  afterward  accom- 
plished. But  of  themselves  they  are  altogether  in- 
sufficient, both  in  their  dates  and  in  their  nature,  to 
meet  the  requirements  of  the  prophecy  ;  and  thus 
failing  in  every  respect,  they  cannot  be  brought  into 
the  controversy  as  marking  the  point  from  which 
the  seventy  weeks  are  to  date.  The  only  question 
now  lies  between  the  decrees  which  were  granted  to 
Ezra  and  to  Nehemiah. 


264  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

The  facts  between  which  we  are  to  decide  here, 
are  briefly  these  :  In  457  B.  c.,  a  decree  was  granted 
to  Ezra  by  the  Persian  emperor,  Artaxerxes  Longim- 
anus,  to  go  up  to  Jerusalem  with  as  many  of  his 
people  as  were  minded  to  go  with  him.  The  com- 
mission granted  him  an  unlimited  amount  of  treasure, 
to  beautify  the  house  of  God,  procure '  offerings  for 
its  service,  and  to  do  whatever  else  might  seem  good 
unto  him.  It  empowered  him  to  ordain  laws,  set 
magistrates  and  judges,  and  execute  punishment 
even  unto  death  ;  in  other  words,  to  restore  the  Jew- 
ish state,  civil  and  ecclesiastical,  according  to  the  law 
of  God  and  the  ancient  customs  of  that  people.  In- 
spiration has  seen  fit  to  preserve  this  decree  ;  and  a 
full  and  accurate  copy  of  it  is  given  in  the  seventh 
chapter  of  the  book  of  Ezra.  In  the  original,  this 
decree  is  given,  not  in  Hebrew,  like  the  rest  of  the 
book  of  Ezra,  but  in  the  Chaldaic  (or  Eastern  Ara  • 
maic),  the  language  then  used  at  Babylon  ;  and  thus 
we  are  furnished  with  the  original  document  by 
virtue  of  which  Ezra  was  authorized  to  restore  and 
build  Jerusalem. 

Thirteen  years  after  this,  in  the  twentieth  year  of 
the  same  king,  B.  C.  444,  Nehemiah  sought  and  ob- 
tained permission  to  go  up  to  Jerusalem.  Neh.  2. 
Permission  was  granted  him,  but  we  have  no  evi- 
dence that  it  was  anything  more  than  verbal.  It 
pertained  to  him  individually,  nothing  being  said 
about  others'  going  up  with  him.  The  king  asked 
him  how  long  a  journey  he  wished  to  make,  and 
when  he  would  return.  He  received  letters  to  the 


CHAPTER  IX,  VERSES  25-27.  9(55 

governors  beyond  the  river,  to  help  him  on  his  way 
to  Judah,  and  an  order  to  the  king's  forest  for  tim- 
ber for  beams,  etc.  When  he  arrived  at  Jerusalem, 
he  found  1'ulers  and  priests,  nobles  and  people,  al- 
ready engaged  in  the  work  of  building  Jerusalem. 
Neh.  2:16.  These  were,  of  course,  acting  under  the 
decree  given  to  Ezra  thirteen  years  before.  And 
finally,  Nehemiah,  having  arrived  at  Jerusalem, 
finished  the  work  he  came  to  accomplish,  in  fifty- 
two  days.  Neh.  6  : 15. 

Now  which  of  these  commissions,  Ezra's  or  Ne- 
hemiah's,  constitutes  the  decree  for  the  restoration 
of  Jerusalem,  from  which  the  seventy  weeks  are  to 
be  dated  ?  It  hardly  seems  that  there  can  be  any 
question  on  this  point. 

1.  The  grant  to  Nehemiah  cannot  be  called  a  de- 
cree.     It   was    necessary   that    a    Persian    decree 
should  be  put  in  writing,  and  signed  by  the  king. 
Dan.  6  :  8.     Such  was  the  document  given  to  Ezra ; 
but  Nehemiah  had  nothing  of  the  kind,  his  com- 
mission being  only  verbal.     If  it  be  said  that  the 
letters  given  him  constituted  the  decree,  then  the 
decree  was   issued,  not  to   Nehemiah,  but   to   the 
governors  beyond  the   river;  besides,  these  would 
constitute  a  series  of  decrees,  and  not  one  decree,  as 
the  prophecy  contemplates. 

2.  The  occasion   of   Nehemiah's    petition  to  the 
king  for  permission  to  go  up  to  Jerusalem  was  the 
report  which  certain  ones,  returning,  had  brought 
from  thence,  that  those  in  the  province  were  in  great 
afSiction  and  reproach,  that  the  wall  of  Jerusalem 


266  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

was  also  broken  down  and  the  gates  thereof  burned 
with  fire.  Neh.  1.  Whose  work  were  these  walls 
and  gates  that  were  broken  down  and  burned  with 
fire  ?  Evidently  the  work  of  Ezra  and'  his  asso- 
ciates ;  for  it  cannot  for  a  moment  be  supposed  that 
the  utter  destruction  of  the  city  by  Nebuchadnez- 
z^ar,  144  years  previous  to  that  time,  would  have 
been  reported  to  Nehemiah  as  a  matter  of  news,  nor 
that  he  would  have  considered  it,  as  he  evidently 
did,  a  fresh  misfortune  calling  for  a  fresh  expression 
of  grief.  A  decree,  therefore,  authorizing  the  build- 
ing of  these,  had  gone  forth  previous  to  the  grant 
to  Nehemiah. 

3.  If  any  should  contend  that  Nehemiah 's  com- 
mission must  be  a  decree,  because  the  object  of  his 
request  was  that  he  might  build  the  city,  it  is  suffi- 
cient to  reply  as  shown  above,  that  gates  and  walls 
had  been  built  previous  to  his  going  up ;  besides^ 
the  work  of  building  which  he  went  to  perform  was 
accomplished  in  fifty-two  days ;  whereas,  the  proph- 
ecy allows  for  the  building  of  the  city,  seven  weeks, 
or  forty-nine  years. 

4.  There   was   nothing    granted    to   Nehemiah, 
which  was   not   embraced  in   the   decree  to  Ezra; 
while  the  latter  had  all  the  forms  and  conditions 
of  a  decree,  and  was  vastly  more  ample  in  its  pro- 
visions. 

5.  It  is  evident  from  the  prayer  of  Ezra,  as  re- 
corded in  chap.  9 : 9,  of  his  book,  that  he  considered 
himself    fully   empowered    to    proceed    with    the 
building  of  the  city  and  the  wall ;  and  it  is  evident 


CHAPTER  IX,  VERSES  25-27.  267 

that  he  understood,  further,  that  the  conditional 
prophecies  concerning  his  people  were  then  fulfilled, 
from  the  closing  words  of  that  prayer  in  which  he 
says,  "  Should  we  again  break  thy  commandments 
and  join  in  affinity  with  the  people  of  these  abom- 
inations, wouldst  thou  not  be  angry  with  us  till 
fehou  hadst  consumed  us,  so  that  there  should  be  no 
remnant  nor  escaping  ? " 

6.  Reckoning  from  the  commission  to  Nehemiah, 
B.  c.  444,  the  dates  throughout  are  entirely  disar- 
ranged ;  for  from  that  point  the  troublous  times 
which  were  to  attend  the  building  of  the  street  and 
wall,  did  not  last  seven  weeks,  or  forty-nine  years. 
Reckoning  from  that  date,  the  sixty-nine  weeks,  or 
483  years,  which  were  to  extend  to  the  Messiah  the 
Prince,  bring  us  to  A.  D.  40 ;  but  Jesus  was  bap- 
tized of  John  in  Jordan  and  the  voice  of  his  Father 
was  heard  from  Heaven  declaring  him  his  Son,  in 
A.  D.  27,  thirteen  years  before.  According  to  this 
calculation,  the  midst  of  the  last,  or  seventieth, 
week,  which  is  marked  by  the  crucifixion,  is  placed 
in  A.  D.  44,  but  the  crucifixion  took  place  in  A.  D.  31, 
thirteen  years  previous.  And  lastly,  the  70  weeks, 
or  490  years,  dated  from  the  twentieth  of  Artax- 
erxes,  extend  to  A.  D.  47,  with  absolutely  nothing  to 
mark  their  termination.  Hence  if  that  be  the  year, 
and  the  grant  to  Nehemiah  the  event,  from  which 
to  reckon,  the  prophecy  has  proved  a  failure.  AP 
it  is,  it  only  proves  that  theory  a  failure  which  dates 
the  seventy  weeks  from  Nehemiah's  commission  in 
the  twentieth  of  Artaxerxes. 


268  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

7.  Will  these  dates  harmonize  if  we  reckon  from 
the  decree  to  Ezra  ?  Let  us  see.  In  this  case,  457 
B.  c.  is  our  starting-point.  Forty-nine  years  were 
allotted  to  the  building  of  the  city  and  the  wall. 
On  this  point,  Prideaux,  Connec.,  vol.  i,  p.  322, 
says :  "  In  the  fifteenth  year  of  Darius  Notlius, 
ended  the  first  seven  weeks  of  Daniel's  prophecy. 
For  then  the  restoration  of  the  church  and  state  of 
the  Jews  in  Jerusalem  and  Judea  was  fully  finished, 
in  that  last  act  of  reformation  which  is  recorded  in 
the  thirteenth  chapter  of  Nehemiah,  from  the 
twenty-third  verse  to  the  end  of  the  chapter,  just 
forty-nine  years  after  it  had  been  commenced  by 
Ezra,  in  the  seventh  year  of  Artaxerxes  Longirna- 
nus." 

So  far,  we  find  harmony.  Let  us  apply  the  meas- 
uring-rod of  the  prophecy  still  further.  Sixty-nine 
weeks,  or  483  years,  were  to  extend  to  Messiah  the 
Prince.  Dating  from  B.  c.  457,  they  end  in  A.  D. 
27.  And  what  event  then  occurred  ?  Luke  thus  in- 
forms u* :  "  Now  wh^n  all  the  people  were  baptized, 
it  came  to  pass  that  Jesus  also,  being  baptized,  and 
praying,  the  heaven  was  opened,  and  the  Holy 
Ghost  descended  in  a  bodily  shape  like  a  dove  upon 
him,  and  a  voice  came  from  Heaven,  which  said, 
Thou  art  my  beloved  Son;  in  thee  I  am  well 
pleased."  Luke  3  : 21,  22,  margin,  A.  D.  27.  After 
this,  Jesus  caine  "  into  Galilee,  preaching  the  gospel 
of  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  saying,  The  time  is 
fulfilled."  The  time  here  mentioned  must  have 
been  some  specific,  definite,  and  predicted  period  ; 


CHAPTER  IX,    V£J£S£S  *6-S7.  260 

but  no  prophetic  period  can  be  found  then  termi- 
nating, except  the  sixty-nine  weeks  of  the  prophecy 
of  Daniel,  which  were  to  extend  to  Messiah  the 
Prince.  The  Messiah  had  now  come  ;  and  with  his 
own  lips  he  announced  the  termination  of  that  pe- 
riod which  was  to  be  marked  by  his  manifestation.* 
Here  again  is  indisputable  harmony.  But  fur- 
ther: the  Messiah  was  to  confirm  the  covenant 
with  many  for  one  week.  This  would  be  the  last 
week  of  the  seventy,  or  the  last  seven  years  of  the 
490.  In  the  midst  of  the  week,  the  prophecy  in- 
forms us,  he  should  cause  the  sacrifice  and  oblation 
to  cease.  These  Jewish  ordinances,  pointing  to  the 
death  of  Christ,  could  cease  only  at  the  cross ;  and 
there  they  did  virtually  come  to  an  end,  though  the 
outward  observance  was  kept  up  till  the  destruc- 

*  Luke  declares  that  Jesus  "  began  to  be  about  thirty  }-ears  of 
age  "  at  the  time  of  his  baptism;  Luke  2:  23;  and  almost  immedi- 
ately after  this  he  entered  upon  his  ministry.  How,  then,  could 
his  ministry  commence  in  A.  D.  27,  and  he  still  be  of  the  age 
named  by  Luke?  The  answer  to  this  question  is  found  in  the 
fact  that  Christ  was  born  between  three  and  four  years  before  the 
beginning  of  the  Christian  Era,  that  is,  before  the  year  marked 
A.  D.  1.  The  mistake  of  dating  the  Christian  Era  something  over 
three  years  this  side  of  the  birth  of  Christ,  instead  of  dating  it 
from  the  year  of  his  birth,  as  it  was  designed  to  be,  arose  on  this 
wise:  One  of  the  most  important  of  ancient  eras  was  that  reck- 
oned from  the  building  of  the  city  of  Rome — ab  urbe  coiidita,  ex- 
pressed by  the  abbreviation  A.  u.  c.,  or  more  briefly,  u.  c.  In  the 
year  which  is  now  numbered  A.  D.  532,  Dionysius  Exiguus,  a 
Scythian  by  birth  and  a  Roman  Abbot,  who  flourished  in  the  reign 
of  Ju&tinjau,  invented  the  Christian  Era,  According  to  the  best 
evidence  at  his  command,  he  placed  the  birth  of  Christ  in  the 


270  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

tion  of  Jerusalem,  A.  D.  70.  After  threescore  and 
two  weeks,  according  to  the  record,  the  Messiah 
was  to  be  cut  off.  It  is  the  same  as  if  it  had  read, 
And  after  threescore  and  two  weeks,  in  the  midst 
of  the  seventieth  week,  shall  Messiah  be  cut  off  and 
cause  the  sacrifice  and  oblation  to  cease.  Now  as 
the  word  midst  here  means  middle,  according  to 
an  abundance  of  authority  which  we  might  pro- 
duce, if  necessary,  the  crucifixion  is  definitely  lo- 
cated in  the  middle  of  the  seventieth  week. 

It  now  becomes  an  important  point  to  deter- 
mine in  what  year  the  crucifixion  took  place.  The 
following  evidence  is  sufficient  to  be  decisive  on 
this  question : — 

The  Saviour  attended  but  four  passovers  accord- 
ing to  the  record  of  John,  mentioned  in  the  follow- 
ing passages  in  his  gospel.  John  2:13;  5:1;  6:4; 

year  u.  0.  753.  But  Christ  was  born  before  the  death  of  Herod; 
and  it  was  afterward  ascertained  on  the  clearest  evidence  that  the 
death  of  Herod  occurred  in  April  u.  c.  750.  Allowing  a  few 
months  for  the  events  recorded  in  Christ's  life  before  the  time  of 
Herod's  death,  his  birth  is  carried  back  te  the  latter  part  of  u.  c. 
749,  a  little  over  three  years  before  A.  D.  1.  Christ  was  therefore 
thirty  years  of  age  in  A.  D.  27.  "The  Vulgar  [common]  Era  be- 
gan to  prevail  fn  the  West  about  the  time  of  Charles  Martel,  and 
pope  Gregory  II.  A.  D.  730 ;  but  was  not  sanctioned  by  any  public 
Acts  or  Rescripts,  till  the  first  German  Synod,  in  the  time  of 
Carolomannus,  Duke  of  the  Franks,  which,  in  the  preface,  was 
said  to  be  assembled  '  Anno  ah  incarnatione  Dom.  742,  11  Calendas 
Maii.'  But  it  was  not  established  till  the  time  of  pope  Eugenius 
IV.  A.  D.  1431,  who  ordered  this  era  to  be  used  in  the  public  Reg- 
isters: according  to  Mariana  and  others." — Holes'1  Chronology,  vol. 
i,  pp.  83,  84.  See  also  "Life  of  Our  Lord,"  by  S.  J.  Andrews. 


CHAPTER  IX,   VERSES  25-S7.  271 

13:1.  At  the  last-mentioned  passover  he  was  cru- 
cified. From  facts  already  established,  let  us  then 
see  where  this  would  locate  the  crueifixion.  As  he 
began  his  ministry  in  the  autumn  of  A.  D.  27,  his 
first  passover  would  be  the  following  spring,  A.  D. 
28.  His  second  would  be  A.  D.  29 ;  his  third,  A.  D. 
30 ;  and  his  fourth  and  last,  A.  D.  31.  This  gives 
us  three  years  and  a  half  for  his  public  ministry, 
and  corresponds  exactly  to  the  prophecy  that  he 
should  be  cut  off  in  the  midst,  or  middle,  of  the 
seventieth  week.  As  tha-t  week  of  years  com- 
menced in  the  autumn  of  A.  D.  27,  its  middle  would 
be  three  and  one  half  years  later,  in  the  spring  of 
31,  where  the  crucifixion  occurred.  Dr.  Hales 
quotes  Eusebius,  A.  D.  300,  as  saying:  "It  is  re- 
corded in  history  that  the  whole  time  of  our  Sav- 
iour's teaching  and  working  miracles  was  three 
years  and  a  half,  which  is  the  half  of  a  week  [of 
years].  This,  John  the  evangelist  will  represent  to 
those  who  critically  attend  to  his  gospel." 

Of  the  unnatural  darkness  which  occurred  at  the 
crucifixion,  Hales,  vol.  i,  pp.  69,  70  thus  speaks: 
"  Hence  it  appears,  that  the  darkness  which  '  over- 
spread the  whole  land  of  Judea '  at  the  time  of  our 
Lord's  crucifixion  was  preternatural, '  from  the  sixth 
until  the  ninth  hour,'  or  from  noon  till  three  in  the 
afternoon,  in  its  duration,  and  also  in  its  time, 
about  full  moon,  when  the  moon  could  not  possi- 
bly eclipse  the  sun.  The  time  it  happened,  and  the 
fact  itself,  are  recorded  in  a  curious  and  valuable 
passage  of  a  respectable  Roman  Consul,  Aurelius 


272  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

Cassiodorius  Senator,  about  A.  D.  514:  'In  the  con- 
sulate of  Tiberius  Caesar  Aug.  V.  and  ^Elius  Sejanus 
(u.  G.  784,  A.  D.  31),  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  suf- 
fered, on  the  8th  of  the  calends  of  April  (25th  of 
March) :  when  there  happened  such  an  eclipse  of 
the  sun  as  was  never  before  nor  since.' 

"In  this  year,  and  in  this  day,  agree  also  the 
Council  of  Caesarea,  A.  D.  196  or  198,  the  Alexan- 
drian Chronicle,  Maxim  us  Monachus,  Nicephorus 
Constantinus,  Cedrenus ;  and  in  this  year,  but  on 
different  days,  concur  Eusebius  and  Epiphanius, 
followed  by  Kepler,  Bucher,  Patinus,  and  Petavius, 
some  reckoning  it  the  10th  of  the  calends  of  April, 
others  the  13th." 

Here,  then,  are  thirteen  credible  authorities,  lo- 
cating the  crucifixion  of  Christ  in  the  spring  of  A. 
D.  31.  We  may  therefore  set  this  down  as  a  fixed 
fact,  as  the  most  cautious  or  the  most  skeptical 
could  require  nothing  more.  This  being  in  the 
middle  of  the  last  week,  we  have  simply  to  reckon 
backward  three  and  a  half  years  to  find  where  the 
69  weeks  ended,  and  forward  from  that  point,  three 
and  a  half  years,  to  find  the  termination  of  the 
whole  period.  Thus  going  back  from  the  crucifix- 
ion, A.  D.  31,  spring,  three  and  a  half  years,  we  find 
ourselves  in  the  autumn  of  A.  D.  27,  where,  as  we 
have  seen,  the  69  weeks  ended,  and  Christ  com- 
menced his  public  ministry.  And  going  from  the 
crucifixion  forward  three  and  a  half  years,  we  are 
brought  to  the  autumn  of  A.  D.  34,  as  the  grand 
terminating  point  of  the  whole  period  of  the  sev- 


CHAPTER  IX,  VERSES  25-27.  273 

enty  weeks.  This  date  is  marked  by  the  matyr- 
dom  of  Stephen^  the  formal  rejection  of  the  gospel 
of  Christ  by  the  Jewish  Sanhedrim  in  the  persecu- 
tion of  his  disciples,  and  the  turning  of  the  apostles 
to  the  Gentiles.  Acts  9  : 1-18.  And  these  are  just 
the  events  which  we  should  expect  to  take  place 
when  that  period  which  was  cut  off  for  the  Jews, 
and  allotted  to  them  as  a  peculiar  people,  should 
fully  expire. 

A  word  respecting  the  date  of  the  seventh  of 
Artaxerxes,  and  the  array  of  evidence  on  this  point 
is  complete.  Was  the  seventh  of  Artaxerxes  B.  c. 
457  ?  For  all  those  who  can  appreciate  the  force 
of  facts,  the  following  testimony  will  be  sufficient 
here : — 

"The  Bible  gives  the  data  for  a  complete  system  of 
chronology,  extending  from  the  creation  to  the  birth  of 
Cyrus — a  clearly  ascertained  date.  From  this  period  down- 
ward we  have  the  undisputed  canon  of  Ptolemy,  and  the 
undoubted  era  of  Nabonassar,  extending  below  our  vulgar 
era.  At  the  point  where  inspired  chronology  leaves  us,  this 
canon  of  undoubted  accuracy  commences.  And  thus  the 
whole  arch  is  spanned.  It  is  by  the  canon  of  Ptolemy  that 
the  great  prophetical  period  of  seventy  weeks  is  fixed.  This 
canon  places  the  seventh  year  of  Artaxerxes  in  the  year  B.  c. 
457  ;  and  the  accuracy  of  this  canon  is  demonstrated  by  the 
concurrent  agreement  of  more  than  twenty  eclipses.  This 
date  we  cannot  change  from  B.  c.  457,  without  first  demon- 
strating the  inaccuracy  of  Ptolemy's  canon.  To  do  this  it 
would  be  necessary  to  show  that  the  large  number  of  eclip- 
ses by  which  its  accuracy  has  been  repeatedly  demonstrated 
have  not  been  correctly  computed  ;  and  such  a  result  would 
unsettle  every  chronological  date,  and  leave*  the  settlement 
of  epochs  and  the  adjustment  of  eras  entirelv  at  the  mercy  of 

18 


274 


THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 


every  dreamer,  so  that  chronology  would  be  of  no  more  value 
than  mere  guess-work.  As  the  seventy  weeks  must  termi- 
nate in  A.  D.  34,  unless  the  seventh  of  Artaxerxes  is  wrongly 
fixed,  and  as  that  cannot  be  changed  without  some  evidence 
to  that  effect,  we  inquire,  What  evidence  marked  that  termi- 
nation ?  The  time  when  the  apostles  turned  to  the  Gentiles 
harmonizes  with  that  date  better  than  any  other  which  has 
been  named.  And  the  crucifixion  in  A.  D.  31,  in  the  midst 
of  the  last  week,  is  sustained  by  a  mass  of  testimony  which 
cannot  be  easily  invalidated." — Ad.  Herald. 

From  the  facts  above  set  forth,  we  see  that,  reck- 
oning the  seventy  weeks  from  the  decree  given  to 
Ezra  in  the  seventh  of  Artaxerxes,  B.  c.  457,  there  is 
the  most  perfect  harmony  throughout.  The  im- 
portant and  definite  events  of  the  manifestation  oi 
the  Messiah  at  his  baptism,  the  commencement  of 
his  public  ministry,  the  crucifixion  and  the  turning 
away  from  the  Jews  to  the  Gentiles,  with  the  proc- 
lamation of  the  new  covenant,  all  come  in,  in  their 
exact  place,  and  like  a  bright  galaxy  of  blazing 
orbs  of  light,  cluster  round  to  set  their  seal  to  the 
prophecy  and  make  it  sure. 

It  is  thus  evident  that  the  decree  to  Ezra  in  the 
seventh  of  Artaxerxes,  B.  c.  457,  is  the  point  from 
which  to  date  the  seventy  weeks.  That  was  the 
going  forth  of  the  decree  in  the  sense  of  the  proph- 
ecy. The  two  previous  decrees  were  preparatory 
and  preliminary  to  this  ;  and  indeed  they  are  re- 
garded by  Ezra  as  parts  of  it,  the  three  being  taken 
as  one  great  whole.  For  in  Ezra  6  :14,  we  read, 
"  And  they  bjuilded  and  finished  it,  according  to  the 
commandment  of  the  God  of  Israel,  and  according  to 


CHAPTER  IX,  VERSES  25-27.  275 

the  commandment  of  Cyrus,  and  Darius,  and  Arta- 
xerxes  king  of  Persia."  It  will  be  noticed  that  the 
decrees  of  these  three  kings  are  spoken  of  as  one  : 
"  The  commandment,"  margin,  decree,  singular  num- 
ber, "  of  Cyrus  and  Darius  and  Artaxerxes  ; "  show- 
ing that  they  are  ah1  reckoned  as  a  unit,  the  different 
decrees  being  but  the  successive  steps  by  which  the 
work  was  accomplished.  And  this  decree  could  not 
be  said  to  have  "gone  forth,"  as  intended  by  the 
prophecy,  tih1  the  last  permission  which  the  prophecy 
required  was  embodied  in  the  decree  and  clothed 
with  the  authority  of  the  empire.  This  point  was 
reached  in  the  grant  given  to  Ezra,  but  not  before. 
Here  the  decree  assumed  the  proportions,  and  cov- 
ered the  ground,  demanded  by  the  prophecy,  and 
from  this  point  its  "  going  forth  "  must  be  dated. 

With  the  seventy  weeks  we  are  now  done ;  but 
there  remains  a  longer  period  and  other  important 
events  to  be  considered.  The  seventy  weeks  are  but 
the  first  490  years  of  the  2300.  Take  490  from 
2300,  and  there  remain  1810.  The  490,  as  we  have 
seen,  ended  in  the  autumn  of  A.  D.  34.  If  to  this 
date  we  now  add  the  remaining  1810  years,  we  shall 
have  the  termination  of  the  whole  period.  Thus,  to 
A.  D.  34,  autumn,  add  1810,  and  we  have  A.  D., 
autumn,  eighteen  hundred  and  forty-four.  Thus 
speedily  and  surely  do  we  find  the  termination  of 
the  2300  days,  when  once  the  seventy  weeks  have 
been  located. 

One  other  point  should  here  be  noticed.  We  have 
seen  that  the  seventy  weeks  are  the  first  490  days  of 


276  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

the  2300  ;  that  these  days  are  prophetic,  signifying 
literal  years,  according  to  the  Bible  rule,  a  day  for  a 
year,  Num.  14  : 34  ;  Eze.  4:6,  as  is  proved  by  the 
fulfillment  of  the  seventy  weeks,  and  as  all  eminent 
expositors  agree  ;  that  they  commenced  in  457  B.  c., 
and  ended  in  A.  D.  1844,  provided  the  number  is 
right,  and  twenty-three  hundred  is  the  correct  read- 
ing. With  this  point  established,  there  would  seem 
to  be  no  room  for  further  controversy.  On  this 
point  Dr.  Hales  remarks  : — 

"  There  is  no  number  in  the  Bible  whose  genuineness  is 
better  ascertained  than  that  of  the  2300  days.  It  is  found 
in  all  the  printed  Hebrew  editions,  in  all  the  MSS.  of  Ken- 
nicott  and  De  .Rossi's  collations,  and  in  all  the  ancient 
Versions,  except  the  Vatican  copy  of  the  Septuagint,  which 
reads  2400,  followed  by  Symmachus;  and  some  copies  noticed 
by  Jerom,  2200,  both  evidently  literal  errors  in  excess  and 
defect,  which  compensate  each  other  and  confirm  the  mean, 
2300." — Chronology,  vol.  ii,  p.  512. 

The  query  may  here  arise,  how  the  days  can  be 
extended  to  the  autumn  of  1844,  if  they  commence 
457  B.  c.,  as  it  requires  only  1843  years  in  addition 
to  the  457,  to  make  the  whole  number  of  2300. 
Attention  to  one  fact  will  clear  this  point  of  all  dif- 
ficulty ;  and  that  is,  that  it  takes  457  full  years  be- 
fore Christ,  and  1843  full  years  after,  to  make  2300; 
so  that  if  the  period  commenced  with  the  very  first 
day  of  457,  it  would  not  terminate  till  the  very  last 
day  of  1843.  Now  it  will  be  evident  to  all  that 
whatever  part  of  the  year  457  had  passed  away  be- 
fore the  2300  days  commenced,  just  so  much  of  the 
year  1844  must  pass  away  before  they  would  end. 


CHAPTER  IX,  VERSES  25-21.  277 

We  therefore  inquire,  At  what  point  in  the  year  457 
are  we  to  commence  to  reckon  ?  From  the  fact  that 
the  first  49  years  were  allotted  to  the  building  of 
the  street  and  wall,  we  learn  that  the  period  is  to  be 
dated,  not  from  the  starting  of  Ezra  for  Babylon,  but 
from  the  actual  commencement  of  the  work  at  Jeru- 
salem ;  which  it  is  not  probable  could  be  earlier  than 
the  seventh  month  (autumn)  of  457,  as  he  did  not 
arrive  at  Jerusalem  till  the  fifth  month  of  that  year. 
Ezra  7  : 9.  The  whole  period  would  therefore  ex- 
tend to  the  seventh  month,  autumn  Jewish  time,  of 
1844. 

Those  who  oppose  this  view  of  the  prophetic 
periods,  have  been  wont  in  years  past  to  meet  us 
like  this :  "  The  2300  days  have  not  ended,  because 
the  time  has  passed,  and  the  Lord  has  not  come. 
Why  the  time  passed  in  1844,  without  the  consum- 
mation of  our  hopes,  we  acknowledge  to  be  a  mys- 
tery ;  but  the  passing  of  the  time  is  proof  that  the 
2300  days  have  not  ended." 

Time,  however,  is  no  respecter  of  persons  nor  of 
theories ;  and  with  the  formidable  scythe  which  he 
is  represented  as  carrying,  he  sometimes  demolishes 
in  the  most  summary  manner  the  grotesque  and 
gossamer  theories  of  men,  however  dear  they  may 
be  to  their  authors  and  defenders.  It  is  so  here. 
Heedless  of  the  wild  contortions  of  those  who 
would  fain  compel  him  to  stop  and  fulfill  their  dar- 
ling predictions,  he  has  kept  on  the  swift  but  even 
tenor  of  his  way  until — what  ?  every  limit  is  passed 
to  which  the  2300  days  can  be  extended ;  and  thus 


278  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

he  has  demonstrated  that  those  days  have  passed. 
Let  not  this  point  be  overlooked.  Setting  aside  for 
a  moment  the  arguments  by  which  they  are  shown 
to  have  ended  in  1844,  and  letting  them  date  from 
any  point  where  there  is  the  least  shadow  of  ground 
for  placing  them,  or  from  which  the  wildest  dreamer 
could  date  them,  it  is  still  true  that  the  utmost  limit 
to  which  they  would  extend  has  gone  by.  They  can- 
not possibly  be  dated  at  any  point  which  would 
bring  their  termination  so  late  as  the  present  time. 
We  therefore  say  again,  with  not  a  misgiving  as  to 
the  truth  of  the  assertion,  nor  a  fear  of  its  success- 
ful contradiction,  Those  days  have  ended ! 

The  momentous  declaration  made  by  the  angel  to 
Daniel,  "Unto  two  thousand  and  three  hundred 
days,  then  shall  the  sanctuary  be  cleansed,"  is  now 
explained.  In  our  search  •  for  the  meaning  of  the 
sanctuary  and  its  cleansing,  and  the  application  of 
the  time,  we  have  found  not  only  that  this  subject 
can  be  easily  understood ;  but  lo !  the  event  is  now 
almost  accomplished.  And  here  we  pause  to  reflect 
a  brief  moment  upon  the  solemn  position  into  which 
we  are  brought. 

We  have  seen  that  the  sanctuary  of  this  dispen- 
sation is  the  tabernacle  of  God  in  Heaven,  the 
house  not  made  with  hands,  where  our  Lord  minis- 
ters in  behalf  of  penitent  sinners,  the  place  where 
between  the  great  God  and  his  Son  Jesus  Christ, 
the  "  counsel  of  peace  "  prevails  in  the  work  of  sal- 
vation for  perishing  men.  Zech.  6 : 13  ;  Ps.  85  : 10. 
We  have  seen  that  the  cleansing  of  the  sanctuary 


CHAPTEli  IX,    VERSES  25-27.  279 

consists  in  the  removing  of  the  sins  from  the  same, 
and  is  the  closing  act  of  the  ministration  performed 
therein;  that  the  work  of  salvation  now  centers  in 
the  heavenly  sanctuary ;  and  when  this  sanctuary 
is  cleansed,  the  work  is  done,  and  the  plan  is  fin- 
ished !  Then  the  great  scheme  devised  at  the  fall 
for  the  salvation  of  as  many  of  the  lost  race  as 
would  avail  themselves  of  its  provisions,  and  car- 
ried forward  for  6000  years,  is  brought  to  its  final 
termination.  Mercy  no  longer  pleads,  and  the  great 
voice  is  heard  from  the  throne  in  the  temple  of 
Heaven,  saying,  It  is  done.  Rev.  16 : 17.  And 
what  then  ?  All  the  righteous  are  safe  for  ever- 
lasting life ;  all  the  wicked  are  doomed  to  everlast- 
ing death.  No  decision  can  be  changed,  no  reward 
can  be  lost,  and  no  destiny  of  despair  can  be  averted, 
beyond  that  point. 

And  we  have  seen  (and  this  is  what  brings  the 
solemnities  of  the  Judgment  to  our  own  door)  that 
that  long  prophetic  period  which  was  to  mark  the 
commencement  of  this  final  work  in  the  heavenly 
sanctuary,  has  met  its  termination  in  our  own  gen- 
eration. In  1844  the  days  ended.  For  thirty- 
seven  years  the  final  work  for  man's  salvation  has 
been  going  forward.  This  work  involves  an  ex- 
amination of  every  man's  character ;  for  it  consists 
in  the  remission  of  the  sins  of  those  who  shall  be 
found  worthy  to  have  them  remitted,  and  deter- 
mines who  among  the  dead  shall  be  raised,  and 
who  among  the  living  shall  be  changed,  at  the  com- 
ing of  the  Lord,  and  who,  of  both  dead  and  living, 


280  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

shall  be  left  to  have  their  part  in  the  fearful  scenes 
of  the  second  death.  And  all  can  see  that  such  a  de- 
cision as  this  must  be  rendered  before  the  Lord  ap- 
pears. Every  man's  case  is  to  be  determined  by 
the  deeds  done  in  the  body,  and  each  one  is  to  be 
rewarded  according  to  his  works.  In  the  books  of 
remembrance,  kept  by  the  heavenly  scribes  above, 
every  man's  deeds  wfll  be  found  recorded ;  in  the 
closing  sanctuary  work,  these  records  are  examined, 
and  decision  is  rendered  in  accordance  therewith.  It 
would  be  most  natural  to  suppose  that  the  work 
would  commence  with  the  first  members  of  the  hu- 
man race ;  that  their  cases  would  be  first  examined, 
and  decision  rendered,  and  so  on  with  all  the  dead, 
generation  by  generation,  in  chronological  succes- 
sion along  the  stream  of  time,  till  we  reach  the  last 
generation,  the  generation  of  the  living,  with  whose 
cases  the  work  would  close.  How  long  it  will  take 
to  examine  the  cases  of  all  the  dead,  how  soon  the 
work  will  reach  the  cases  of  the  living,  we  do  not 
know.  As  above  remarked,  for  thirty-seven  years 
this  work  has  already  been  going  forward.  The 
light  of  the  types,  and  the  very  nature  of  the  case, 
forbid  that  it  should  be  of  long  continuance.  John, 
in  his  sublime  views  of  heavenly  scenes,  saw  mill- 
ions of  attendants  and  assistants,  engaged  with 
our  Lord  in  his  priestly  work.  Rev.  5.  And  so 
the  ministration  goes  forward.  It  ceases  not,  it  de- 
lays not ;  and  it  must  soon  be  forever  finished. 

And  here  we  stand  ;  the  last,  the  greatest,  and  the 
most  solemn  crisis  in  the  history  of  our  race  imme- 


CHAPTER  IX,  VERSES  £5-27.  281 

diately  impending ;  the  great  plan  of  salvation 
about  finished ;  the  last  precious  years  of  probation 
almost  ended;  the  Lord  about  to  come  to  save 
those  who  are  ready  and  waiting,  and  to  cut  asun- 
der the  careless  and  unbelieving ;  and  the  world — 
alas!  what  shall  we  say  of  them! — deceived  with 
error,  crazed  with  cares  and  business,  delirious  with 
pleasure,  and  paralyzed  with  vice,  they  have  not 
a  moment  to  spare  in  listening  to  solemn  truth,  nor 
a  thought  to  bestow  upon  their  eternal  interests. 
Let  the  people  of  God,  with  eternity  right  in  view, 
be  careful  to  escape  the  corruption  that  is  in  the 
world  through  lust,  and  prepare  to  pass  the  search- 
ing test,  when  their  cases  shall  come  up  for  exami- 
nation in  the  great  tribunal  above. 

To  the  careful  attention  of  every  student  of 
prophecy,  we  commend  the  subject  of  the  sanctu- 
ary. In  it  is  seen  the  ark  of  God's  testament,  con- 
taining his  holy  law,  and  suggesting  a  reform  in  our 
obedience  to  that  great  standard  of  morality.  The 
opening  of  this  heavenly  temple,  or  the  commence- 
ment of  the  service  in  its  second  apartment,  marks 
the  commencement  of  the  sounding  of  the  seventh 
angel.  Rev.  11:15,  19.  The  work  performed 
therein  is  the  foundation  of  the  third  message  of 
Rev.  14,  the  last  message  of  mercy  to  a  perishing 
world.  This  subject  explains  the  great  disappoint- 
ment of  1844,  by  showing  that  we  mistook  the 
event  to  occur  at  the  end  of  the  days.  It  renders 
harmonious  and  clear,  past  prophetic  fulfillments, 
which  are  otherwise  involved  in  impenetrable  ob- 


282  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

scuritj.  It  gives  a  definite  idea  of  the  position  and 
work  of  our  great  High  Priest,  and  brings  out  the 
plan  of  salvation  in  its  distinctive  and  beautiful 
features.  It  reins  us  up,  as  no  other  subject  does, 
to  the  realities  of  the  Judgment,  and  shows  the 
preparation  we  need,  to  be  able  to  stand  in  the  com- 
ing day.  It  shows  us  that  we  are  in  the  waiting 
time,  and  puts  us  upon  our  watch ;  for  we  know 
not  how  soon  the  work  will  be  finished,  and  our 
Lord  appear.  Watch,  lest,  coming  suddenly,  he  find 
you  sleeping. 

After  stating  the  great  events  connected  with 
our  Lord's  mission  here  upon  earth,  the  prophet  in 
the  last  part  of  verse  27  speaks  of  the  soon -follow- 
ing destruction  of  Jerusalem  by  the  Roman  power ; 
and  finally  of  the  destruction  of  that  power  itself, 
called  in  the  margin,  "  the  desolator." 


DANIEL'S    LAST   VISION. 

VERSE  1.  In  the  third  year  of  Cyrus  king  of  Persia  a 
thing  was  revealed  unto  Daniel,  whose  name  was  called  Bel- 
teshazzar ;  and  the  thing  was  true,  but  the  time  appointed 
was  long  ;  and  he  understood  the  thing,  and  had  understand- 
ing of  the  vision. 

This  verse  introduces  us  to  the  last  of  the  re- 
corded visions  of  the  prophet  Daniel,  the  instruc- 
tion imparted  to  him  at  this  time  being  continued 
through  chapters  11  and  12,  to  the  close  of  the 
book.  The  third  year  of  Cyrus  was  B.  c.  534. 
Twenty-one  years  had  consequently  elapsed  since 
Daniel's  vision  of  the  four  beasts  in  the  first  year 
of  Belshazzar,  B.  c.  555 ;  nineteen  years,  since  the 
vision  of  the  ram,  he-goat,  little  horn,  and  twenty- 
three  hundred  days,  of  chapter  8,  in  the  third  year 
of  Belshazzar,  B.  c.  553;  and  four  years,  since  the 
instruction  given  to  Daniel  respecting  the  seventy 
weeks,  in  the  first  year  of  Darius,  B.  c.  538,  as  re- 
corded in  chapter  9.  On  the  overthrow  of  the  king- 
dom of  Babylon  by  the  Medes  and  Persians,  B.  c. 
538,  Darius,  through  the  courtesy  of  his  nephew, 
Cyrus,  was  permitted  to  occupy  the  throne.  This 
he  did  till  the  time  of  his  death,  about  two  years 
after.  About  this  time,  Cambyses,  king  of  Persia, 

(283) 


284  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

the  father  of  Cyrus,  having  also  died,  Cyrus  became 
sole  monarch  of  the  second  universal  empire  of 
prophecy,  B.  c.  536.  This  being  reckoned  as  his 
first  year,  his  third  year,  in  which  this  vision  was 
given  to  Daniel,  would  be  dated  B.  c.  534.  The 
death  of  Daniel  is  supposed  to  have  occurred  soon 
after  this,  he  being  at  this  time,  according  to  Prid- 
eaux,  not  less  than  ninety-one  years  of  age. 

VERSE  2.  In  those  days  I  Daniel  was  mourning  three  full 
weeks.  3.  I  ate  no  pleasant  bread,  neither  came  flesh  nor 
wine  in  my  mouth,  neither  did  I  anoint  myself  at  all,  till 
three  whole  weeks  were  fulfilled. 

The  marginal  reading  for  "  three  full  weeks,"  is 
"  weeks  of  days ; "  which  term  Dr.  Stonard  thinks 
is  here  used  to  distinguish  the  time  spoken  of  from 
the  weeks  of  years,  brought  to  view  in  the  preceding 
chapter. 

For  what  purpose  did  this  aged  servant  of  God 
thus  humble  himself  and  afflict  his  soul  ?  Evi- 
dently for  the  purpose  of  understanding  more  fully 
the  divine  purpose  concerning  events  that  were  to 
befall  the  church  of  God  in  corning  time ;  for  the 
divine  messenger  sent  to  instruct  him  says,  "  From 
the  first  day  that  thou  didst  set  thine  heart  to  un- 
derstand" etc.  Verse  12.  There  was  then  still 
something  which  Daniel  did  not  understand,  but  in 
reference  to  which  he  earnestly  desired  light. 
What  was  it?  It  was  undoubtedly  some  part  of 
his  last  preceding  visions;  namely,  the  vision  of 
chapter  9,  and  through  that  of  the  vision  of  chap- 
ter 8,  of  which  chapter  9  was  but  a  further  explana- 


CHAPTER  X,    VERSES  4-9.  285 

tion.  And  as  the  result  of  his  supplication,  he  now 
receives  more  minute  information  respecting  the 
events  included  in  the  great  outlines  of  his  former 
visions. 

This  mourning  of  the  prophet  is  supposed  to  have 
been  accompanied  with  fasting ;  not  an  absolute  ab- 
stinence from  food,  but  a  use  of  only  the  plainest 
and  most  simple  articles  of  diet.  He  ate  no  pleas- 
ant bread,  no  delicacies  nor  dainties;  he  used  no 
flesh  nor  wine ;  and  he  did  not  anoint  his  head ; 
which  was  with  the  Jews  an  outward  sign  of  fast- 
ing. How  long  he  would  have  continued  this  fast 
had  he  not  received  the  answer  to  his  prayer,  we 
know  not ;  but  his  course  in  continuing  it  for  three 
full  weeks  shows  that,  being  assured  his  request 
was  lawful,  he  was  not  a  person  to  cease  his  suppli- 
cation till  his  petition  was  granted. 

VERSE  4.  And  in  the  four  and  twentieth  day  of  the  first 
month,  as  I  was  by  the  side  ef  the  great  river,  which  is 
Hiddekel  ;  5  ;  then  I  lifted  up  mine  eyes,  and  looked,  and 
behold  a  certain  man  clothed  in  linen,  whose  loins  were 
girded  with  line  gold  of  Uphaz.  6.  His  body  also  was  like 
the  beryl,  and  his  face  as  the  appearance  of  lightning,  and 
his  eyes  as  lamps  of  fire,  and  his  arms  and  his  feet  like  in 
color  to  polished  brass,  and  the  voice  of  liis  words  like  the 
voice  of  a  multitude.  7.  And  I  Daniel  alone  saw  the  vision  ; 
for  the  men  that  were  with  me  saw  not  the  vision ;  but  a 
great  quaking  fell  upon  them,  so  that  they  fled  to  hide  them- 
selves. 8.  Therefore  I  was  left  alone,  and  saw  this  great 
vision,  and  there  remained  no  strength  in  me ;  for  my 
comeliness  was  turned  in  me  into  corruption,  and  I  retained 
no  strength.  9.  Yet  heard  I  the  voice  of  his  words;  and 
when  T  heard  the  voice  of  his  words,  then  was  I  in  a  deep 
sleep  on  my  face,  and  my  face  toward  the  ground. 


236  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

By  t'he  river  Hiddekel,  the  Syriac  understands 
the  Euphrates ;  the  Vulgate,  Greek,  and  Arabic,  the 
Tigris;  hence  Wintle  concludes  that  the  prophet 
had  this  vision  at  the  place  where  these  rivers 
unite,  as  they  do,  not  far  from  the  Persian  Gulf. 

A  most  majestic  personage  visited  Daniel  on  this 
occasion.  The  description  of  him  is  almost  parallel 
to  that  given  of  Christ  in  the  Revelation,  chapter 
1 : 14-1 6;  and  the  effect  of  his  presence  was  about 
such  as  was  experienced  by  Paul  and  his  compan- 
ions when  the  Lord  met  them  on  their  way  to  Da- 
mascus. Acts  9  : 1-7.  But  this  was  not  the  Lord ; 
for  the  Lord  is  introduced  as  Michael  in  verse  13. 
It  must  therefore  have  been  an  angel,  but  one  of  no 
ordinary  character.  We  therefore  inquire,  What 
angel  will  bear  the  description  here  given  ?  There 
are  some  points  of  identity  between  this  and  other 
passages  which  plainly  show  that  this  was  the  an- 
gel Gabriel.  In  chapter  8:16,  Gabriel  is  introduced 
by  name.  His  interview  with  Daniel  at  that  time 
produced  exactly  the  same  effect  upon  the  prophet 
as  that  described  in  the  passage  before  us.  At  that 
time,  Gabriel  was  commanded  to  make  Daniel  un- 
derstand the  vision;  and  he  himself  promised  to 
make  him  know  what  should  be  in  the  last  end  of 
the  indignation.  Having  given  Daniel  all  the  in- 
struction he  was  able  to  bear  on  that  occasion,  he 
subsequently  resumed  his  work,  and  explained  an- 
other great  point  in  the  vision,  as  recorded  in  chap- 
ter 9 : 20-27.  Yet  we  learn  from  chapter  10,  that 
there  were  some  points  still  unexplained  to  the 


CHAPTER  X,  VERSES  10-12.  287 

prophet ;  and  he  set  his  heart  again,  with  fasting 
and  supplication,  to  understand  the  matter. 

A  personage  now  appears  whose  presence  has  the 
same  effect  upon  Daniel  as  that  produced  by  the 
presence  of  Gabriel  at  the  first ;  and  he  tells  Daniel, 
verse  14 :  "  Now  I  am  come  to  make  thee  under- 
stand what  shall  befall  thy  people  in  the  latter 
days ; "  the  very  information  Gabriel  had  promised 
to  give,  in  chapter  8 : 19.  But  one  conclusion  can 
be  drawn  from  these  facts.  Daniel  was  seeking 
further  light  on  the  very  vision  which  Gabriel  had 
been  commanded  to  make  him  understand.  Once, 
already,  he  had  made  a  special  visit  to  Daniel,  to 
give  him  additional  information  when  he  sought  it 
with  prayer  and  fasting.  Now,  when  he  is  prepared 
for  further  instruction,  and  again  seeks  it  in  the 
same  manner,  in  reference  to  the  same  subject,  can 
it  for  a  moment  be  supposed  that  Gabriel  disre- 
garded his  instruction,  lost  sight  of  his  mission,  and 
suffered  another  angel  to  undertake  the  completion 
of  his  unfinished  work  ?  And  the  language  of 
verse  14  clearly  identifies  the  speaker  with  the  one 
who,  in  the  vision  of  chapter  8,  promised  to  do  that 
work. 

VERSE  10.  And,  behold,  a  hand  touched  me,  which  set  me 
upon  my  knees  and  upon  the  palms  of  my  hands.  11.  And 
he  said  unto  me,  O  Daniel,  a  man  greatly  beloved,  under- 
stand the  words  that  I  speak  unto  thee,  and  stand  upright ; 
for  unto  thee 'am  I  now  sent.  And  when  he  had  spoken 
this  word  unto  me,  I  stood  trembling.  12.  Then  said  he 
unto  me,  Fear  not,  Daniel ;  for  from  the  first  day  that  thou 
didst  set  thine  heart  to  understand,  and  to  chasten  thyself 


288  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

before  thy  God,  thy  words  were  heard,  and  I  am  come  for 
thy  words. 

Daniel  having  fallen  into  a  swoon  at  the  ma- 
jestic appearance  of  Gabriel  (for  so  the  expression, 
"  deep  sleep,"  of  verse  nine  is  generally  understood), 
the  angel  approaches  and  lays  his  hand  upon  him 
to  give  him  assurance  and  confidence  to  stand  in 
his  presence.  He  tells  Daniel  that  he  is  a  man 
greatly  beloved.  Wonderful  declaration!  a  mem- 
ber of  the  human  family,  one  of  the  same  race  with 
us,  loved,  not  merely  in  the  general  sense  in  which 
God  loved  the  whole  world  when  he  gave  his  Son 
to  die  for  them,  but  loved  as  an  individual,  and 
that  greatly  !  Well  might  the  prophet  receive  con- 
fidence from  such  a  declaration  as  that,  to  stand 
even  in  the  presence  of  Gabriel.  He  tells  him, 
moreover,  that  he  is  come  for  the  purpose  of  an  in- 
terview with  him,  and  he  wishes  him  to  bring  his 
mind  into  a  proper  state  to  understand  his  words. 
Being  thus  addressed,  the  holy  and  beloved  prophet, 
assured,  but  yet  trembling,  stood  before  the  heavenly 
angel. 

"  Fear  not,  Daniel,"  continues  Gabriel.  He  had 
no  occasion  to  fear  before  one,  even  though  a  divine 
being,  who  had  been  sent  to  him  because  he  was 
greatly  beloved,  and  in  answer  to  his  earnest 
prayer.  Nor  ought  the  people  of  God,  of  any  age, 
to  entertain  a  servile  fear  of  any  of  those  agents 
who  are  sent  forth  to  minister  to  their  salvation. 
There  is,  however,  a  disposition  manifested  among 
far  too  many  to  allow  their  minds  to  conceive  of 


CHAPTER  X,    VERSE  13.  289 

Jesus  and  his  angels  as  only  stern  ministers  of  jus- 
tice, inflicters  of  vengeance  and  retribution,  rather 
than  as  beings  who  are  earnestly  working  for  our 
salvation  on  account  of  the  pity  and  love  with 
which  they  regard  us.  The  presence  of  an  angel, 
should  he  appear  bodily  before  them,  would  strike 
them  with  terror ;  and  the  thought  that  Christ  is 
soon  to  appear,  and  they  are  to  be  taken  into  his 
presence,  distresses  and  alarms  them.  We  recom- 
mend to  such,  juster  views  of  the  relation  which 
the  Christian  sustains  to  Christ,  the  head  of  the 
church,  and  a  little  more  of  that  perfect  love  which 
casts  out  all  fear. 

On  verse  12,  Bagster  has  the  following  pointed 
note :  "  Daniel,  as  Bp.  Newton  observes,  was  now 
very  far  advanced  in  years ;  for  the  third  year  of 
Cyrus  was  the  seventy-third  of  his  captivity ;  and 
being  a  youth  when  carried  captive,  he  cannot  be 
supposed  to  have  been  less  than  ninety.  Old  as  he 
was,  'he  set  his  heart  to  understand'  the  former 
revelations  which  had  been  made  to  him,  and  par- 
ticularly the  vision  of  the  ram  and  he-goat,  as  may 
be  collected  from  the  sequel ;  and  for  this  purpose 
he  prayed  and  fasted  three  weeks.  His  fasting  and 
prayers  had  the  desired  effect;  for  an  angel  was 
sent  to  unfold  to  him  those  mysteries ;  and  whoever 
would  excel  in  divine  knowledge,  must  imitate 
Daniel,  and  habituate  himself  to  study,  temperance, 
and  devotion." 

VERSE  13.  But  the  prince  of  the  kingdom  of  Persia  with- 
stood me  one  and  twenty  days  ;  but,  lo,  Michael,  one  of  the 

19 


290  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

chief  princes,  came  to  help  me  ;  and  I  remained  there  with 
the  kings  of  Persia. 

How  often  the  prayers  of  God's  people  are  heard, 
while  as  yet  there  is  no  apparent  answer.  It  was 
even  so  in  this  case  with  Daniel.  The  angel  tells 
him  that  from  the  first  day  he  set  his  heart  to  un- 
derstand, his  words  were  heard.  Yet  Daniel  con- 
tinued to  afflict  his  soul  with  fasting,  and  to  wres- 
tle with  God  for  three  full  weeks,  all  unaware  that 
any  respect  was  yet  paid  to  his  petition.  But  why 
was  the  delay  ?  The  king  of  Persia  withstood  the 
angel.  The  answer  to  Daniel's  prayer  involved 
some  action  on  the  part  of  that  king.  This  action 
he  must  be  influenced  to  perform.  It  doubtless 
pertained  to  the  work  which  he  was  to  do,  and  had 
already  begun  to  do,  in  behalf  of  the  temple  at  Je- 
rusalem, and  the  Jews,  his  decree  for  the  building 
of  that  temple  being  the  first  of  the  series  which 
finally  constituted  that  great  commandment  to  re- 
store and  build  Jerusalem,  from  which  the  prophecy 
dates.  And  the  angel  is  dispatched  to  influence 
him  to  go  forward  in  -accordance  with  the  divine 
will. 

Ah !  how  little  do  we  realize  what  is  going  on  in 
the  unseen  world  in  relation  to  human  affairs. 
Here,  as  it  were,  the  curtain  is  for  a  moment  lifted, 
and  we  get  a  glimpse  of  the  movements  within. 
Daniel  prays.  The  Creator  of  the  universe  hears. 
The  command  is  issued  to  Gabriel  to  go  to  his  re- 
lief. But  the  king  of  Persia  must  act  before  Dan- 
iel's prayer  is  answered ;  and  the  angel  hastens  to 


CHAPTER  X,    VERSE  13.  99 1 

the  Persian  king.  Satan,  no  doubt,  musters  his 
forces  to  oppose.  They  meet  in  the  royal  palace 
of  Persia.  All  the  motives  of  selfish  interest  and 
worldly  policy  which  Satan  can  play  upon,  he 
doubtless  uses  to  the  best  advantage ;  while  Gabriel 
brings  to  bear  his  influence  in  the  other  direction. 
The  king  struggles  between  conflicting  emotions. 
He  hesitates;  he  delays.  Day  after  day  passes 
away ;  yet  Daniel  prays  on ;  the  king  still  refuses  to 
yield  to  the  influence  of  the  angel;  three  weeks 
expire ;  and  lo !  a  mightier  than  Gabriel  takes  his 
place  in  the  palace  of  the  king,  and  Gabriel  appears 
to  Daniel  to  acquaint  him  with  the  progress  of 
events.  From  the  first,  said  he,  your  prayer  was 
heard;  but  these  three  weeks,  during  which  you 
have  been  praying  and  fasting,  the  king  of  Per- 
sia resisted  my  influence,  and  prevented  my  com- 
ing. 

Such  was  the  effect  of  prayer.  And  God  has 
erected  no  barriers  between  himself  and  his  peo- 
ple since  Daniel's  time.  It  is  still  their  privilege 
to  offer  up  prayer  as  fervent  and  effectual  as  his, 
and,  like  Jacob,  to  have  power  with  God  and  to  pre- 
vail. 

Who  was  Michael  who  here  came  to  Gabriel's  as- 
sistance ?  The  term  signifies,  "  He  who  is  like 
God ; "  and  the  Scriptures  clearly  show  that  Christ 
is  the  one  who  bears  this  name.  Jude  (verse  9) 
tells  us  that  Michael  is  the  archangel.  Archangel 
signifies  head  or  chief  angel;  and  Gabriel,  in  our 
text,  calls  him  one,  or,  as  the  margin  reads,  the  first, 


292  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 


of  the  chief  princes.  There  can  be  but  one  archan- 
gel ;  and  hence  it  is  manifestly  improper  to  use  the 
word  in  the  plural.  The  Scriptures  never  so  use  it. 
Paul,  in  1  Thess.  4 : 16,  states  that  when  the  Lord 
appears  the  second  time  to  raise  the  dead,  the  voice 
of  the  archangel  is  heard.  Whose  voice  is  heard 
when  the  dead  are  raised  ?  The  voice  of  the  Son 
of  God.  John  5  :  28.  Putting  these  scriptures  to- 
gether, they  prove,  1.  That  the  dead  are  called 
from  their  graves  by  the  voice  of  the  Son  of  God. 
2.  That  the  voice  that  is  then  heard  is  the  voice  of 
the  archangel  The  archangel,  therefore,  is  the  Son 
of  God.  3.  The  archangel  is  called  Michael. 
Therefore,  Michael  is  the  Son  of  God.  In  the  last 
verse  of  Daniel  10,  he  is  called  "  your  prince,"  and 
in  the  first  of  chapter  12,  "the  great  prince  which 
standeth  for  the  children  of  thy  people ; "  expres- 
sions which  can  appropriately  be  applied  to  Christ, 
but  not  to  any  other. 

VERSE  14.  Now  I  am  come  to  make  thee  understand  what 
shall  befall  thy  people  in  the  latter  days  ;  for  yet  the  vision 
is  for  many  days. 

The  expression,  "  yet  the  vision  is  for  many  days," 
reaching  far  into  the  future,  and  embracing  what 
should  befall  the  people  of  God  even  in  the  latter 
days,  shows  conclusively  that  the  days  given  in  that 
vision,  namely,  the  2300,  cannot  mean  literal  days, 
but  must  be  days  of  years. 

VERSE  15.  And  when  he  had  spoken  such  words  unto  me, 
I  set  my  face  toward  the  ground,  and  I  became  dumb.  16. 
And,  behold,  one  like  the  similitude  of  the  sons  of  men 


CHAPTER  X,  VERSES  15-21.  293 

touched  my  lips  ;  then  I  opened  my  mouth,  and  spake,  and 
said  unto  him  that  stood  before  me,  O  my  Lord,  by  the  vis- 
ion my  sorrows  are  turned  upon  me,  and  I  have  retained  no 
strength.  17.  For  how  can  the  servant  of  this  my  lord  talk 
with  this  my  lord?  for  as  for  me,  straightway  there  remained 
no  strength  in  me,  neither  is  there  breath  left  in  me. 

One  of  the  most  marked  characteristics  mani- 
fested by  Daniel,  was  the  tender  solicitude  he  felt 
for  his  people.  Having  come  now  to  clearly  com- 
prehend that  the  vision  portended  long  ages  of  op- 
pression and  suffering  for  the  church,  he  was  so 
affected  by  the  view,  that  his  strength  departed  .. 
from  him,  his  breath  ceased,  and  the  power  of 
speech  was  gone.  The  vision  of  verse  16  doubtless 
refers  to  the  former  vision  of  chapter  8. 

VERSE  18.  Then  there  came  again  and  touched  me  one 
like  the  Appearance  of  a  man,  and  he  strengthened  me,  19, 
And  said,  O  man  greatly  beloved,  fear  not  :  peace  be  unto 
thee  ;  be  strong,  yea,  be  strong.  And  when  he  had  spoken 
unto  me,  I  was  strengthened,  and  said,  Let  my  lord  speak  ; 
for  thou  hast  strengthened  me.  20.  Then  said  he,  Knowest 
thou  wherefore  I  come  unto  thee  ?  and  now  will  I  return  to 
fight  with  the  prince  of  Persia  ;  and  when  I  am  gone  forth, 
lo,  the  prince  of  Grecia  shall  come.  21.  But  I  will  show 
thee  that  which  is  noted  in  the  Scripture  of  truth;  and  there 
is  none  that  holdeth  with  me  in  these  things,  but  Michael 
your  prince. 

The  prophet  is  at  length  strengthened  to  hear,  in 
full,  the  communication  which  the  angel  has  to 
make.  And  Gabriel  says,  "  Knowest  thou  where- 
fore I  come  unto  thee  ? "  That  is,  do  you  now 
know  to  what  end  I  have  come  ?  Do  you  under- 
stand my  purpose,  so  that  you  will  no  more  fear  ? 


294  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

He  then  announced  his  intention  to  return,  as  soon 
as  his  communication  was  complete,  to  fight  with 
the  king  of  Persia.  The  word,  with,  is  in  the  Sep- 
tuagint,  meta,  and  signifies,  not  against,  but  in 
common  with,  along  side  of ;  that  is,  the  angel  of 
God  would  stand  on  the  side  of  the  Persian  king- 
dom so  long  as  it  was  in  the  providence  of  God  that 
that  kingdom  should  continue.  But  when  I  am 
gone  forth,  continues  Gabriel,  lo,  the  prince  of  Gre- 
cia  shall  come.  That  is,  when  he  withdraws  his 
support  from  that  kingdom,  and  the  providence  of 
God  operates  in  behalf  of  another  kingdom,  the 
prince  of  Grecia  shall  come,  and  the  Persian  mon- 
archy be  overthrown. 

Gabriel  then  announced  that  none,  God  of  course 
excepted,  had  an  understanding  with  him  »in  the 
matters  he  was  about  to  communicate,  except 
Michael,  the  prince.  And  after  he  had  made  them 
known  to  Daniel,  then  there  were  four  beings  in 
the  universe  with  whom  rested  a  knowledge  of 
these  important  truths:  Daniel,  Gabriel,  Christ, 
and  God.  Four  links  in  this  ascending  chain  of 
witnesses :  the  first,  a  member  of  the  human  family ; 
the  last,  the  highest  Being  in  the  universe ! 


Chapter  XI. 


A    LITERAL    PROPHECY. 

VERSE  1.  Also  I  hi  the  first  year  of  Darius  the  Mede, 
even  I,  stood  to  confirm  and  to  strengthen  him.  2.  And 
now  will  I  show  thee  the  truth.  Behold,  there  shall  stand 
up  yet  three  kings  in  Persia ;  and  the  fourth  shall  be  far 
richer  than  they  all  ;  and  by  his  strength  through  his  riches 
he  shall  stir  up  all  against  the  realm  of  Grecia. 

We  now  enter  upon  a  prophecy  of  future  events, 
clothed  not  in  figures  and  symbols,  as  in  the  visions 
of  chapters  2,  7,  and  8,  hut  given  mostly  in  plain 
language.  Many  of  the  signal  events  of  the  world's 
history,  from  the  days  of  Daniel  to  the  end  of  the 
world,  are  here  brought  to  view.  This  prophecy^ 
says  Bishop  Newton,  may  not  improperly  be  said  to 
be  a  comment  and  explanation  of  the  vision  of 
chapter  8. 

The  angel,  after  stating  that  he  stood,  in  the  first 
year  of  Darius,  to  confirm  and  strengthen  him, 
turns  his  attention  to  the  future.  Three  kings 
shall  yet  stand  up  in  Persia.  To  stand  up,  means 
to  reign ;  three  kings  were  to  reign  in  Persia ;  re- 
ferring doubtless  to  the  immediate  successors  of 
Cyrus.  These  were,  1.  Cambyses,  son  of  Cyrus. 
2.  Smerdis,  an  impostor.  3.  Darius  Hystaspes. 

The   fourth   shall   be   far   richer   than  they  all. 

(295) 


296  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

The  fourth  king  from  Cyrus  was  Xerxes,  more 
famous  for  his  riches  than  his  generalship,  and  con- 
spicuous in  history  for  the  magnificent  campaign 
he  organized  against  Grecia,  and  his  utter  failure  in 
that  enterprise.  He  was  to  stir  up  all  against  the 
realm  of  Grecia.  Never  before  had  there  been  such 
a  levy  of  men  for  warlike  purposes;  never  has 
there  been  since.  His  army,  according  to  Herodo- 
tus, who  lived  in  that  age,  consisted  of  five  millions, 
two  hundred  and  eighty-three  thousand,  two  hun- 
dred and  twenty  men  (5,283,220).  And  not  con- 
tent with  stirring  up  the  East  alone,  he  enlisted 
the  Carthagenians  of  the  West  in  his  service,  who 
took  the  field  with  an  additional  army  of  three 
hundred  thousand  men. 

VERSE  3.  And  a  mighty  king  shall  stand  up,  that  shall 
rule  with  great  dominion,  and  do  according  to  his  will.  4. 
And  when  he  shall  stand  up,  his  kingdom  shall  be  broken, 
and  shall  be  divided  toward  the  four  winds  of  heaven  ;  and 
not  to  his  posterity,  nor  according  to  his  dominion  which  he 
ruled  ;  for  his  kingdom  shall  be  plucked  up,  even  for  others 
beside  those. 

The  facts  stated  in  these  verses  plainly  point  to 
Alexander,  and  the  division  of  his  empire.  See  on 
chapter  8 : 8.  Xerxes  was  the  last  Persian  king 
who  invaded  Grecia ;  the  prophecy  therefore  passes 
over  the  nine  successors  of  Xerxes  in  the  Per- 
sian Empire,  and  next  introduces  Alexander  tho 
Great.  Having  overthrown  the  Persian  Empire, 
Alexander  "  became  absolute  monarch  of  that  em- 
pire, to  the  fullest  extent  it  was  ever  possessed  by 


CHAPTER  AV,   VEHSE  5.  297 

any  of  the  Persian  kings."  Prideaux  i,  378.  His 
dominion  was  great,  including  "the  greater  portion 
of  the  then  known  habitable  world;"  and  he  did  ac- 
cording to  his  will.  His  will  fortunately  led  him, 
B.  c.  323,  into  a  drunken  debauch,  in  which  he 
fortunately  died;  and  his  vain-glorious  and  ambi- 
tious projects  went  into  sudden,  total,  and  everlast- 
ing eclipse.  The  kingdom  was  divided,  but  not  for 
his  posterity ;  it  was  plucked  up  for  others  besides 
those.  Within  fifteen  years  after  his  death,  all  his 
posterity  had  fallen  victims  to  jealousy  and  ambi- 
tion. Not  one  of  the  race  of  Alexander  was  left  to 
breathe  upon  the  earth.  So  short  is  the  transit  from 
the  highest  pinnacle  of  earthly  glory  to  oblivion 
and  death.  The  kingdom  was  rent  into  four  divis- 
ions and  taken  possession  of  by  Alexander's  four 
ablest,  or  perhaps  most  ambitious  and  unprincipled, 
generals,  Cassander,  Lysimachus,  Ptolemy,  and  Se- 
leucus. 

VERSE  5.  And  the  king  of  the  south  shall  be  strong,  and 
one  of  his  princes  ;  and  he  shall  be  strong  above  him,  and 
have  dominion  ;  his  dominion  shall  be  a  great  dominion. 

The  king  of  the  north  and  the  king  of  the  south 
are  many  times  referred  to  in  the  remaining  por- 
tion of  this  chapter.  It  becomes  therefore  essen- 
tial to  an  understanding  of  the  prophecy  to  clearly 
identify  these  powers.  When  Alexander's  empire 
was  divided,  it  was  divided  toward  the  four  winds 
of  heaven,  east,  west,  north,  and  south;  these  divis- 
ions of  course  to  be  reckoned  from  the  standpoint 
of  Palestine,  the  native  land  of  the  prophet.  That 


298  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

division  of  the  empire  lying  west  of  Palestine, 
would  thus  constitute  the  kingdom  of  the  west; 
that  lying  east,  the  kingdom  of  the  east ;  that  ly- 
ing north,  the  kingdom  of  the  north ;  and  that  ly- 
ing south,  the  kingdom  of  the  south.  The  divisions 
of  Alexander's  kingdom,  with  respect  to  Palestine, 
were  situated  as  follows :  Cassander  had  Greece  and 
the  adjacent  countries,  which  lay  to  the  west; 
Lysimachus  had  Thrace,  which  then  included  Asia 
Minor,  and  the  countries  lying  on  the  Hellespont 
and  Bosporus,  which  lay  to  the  north  of  Palestine ; 
Ptolemy  had  Egypt  and  the  neighboring  countries, 
which  lay  to  the  south;  and  Seleucus  had  Syria 
and  Babylon,  which  lay  principally  to  the  east. 

During  the  wars  and  revolutions  which  for  long 
ages  succeeded,  these  geographical  boundaries  were 
frequently  changed  or  obliterated ;  old  ones  were 
wiped  out,  and  new  ones  instituted.  But  whatever 
changes  might  occur,  these  first  divisions  of  the  em- 
pire m  ust  determine  the  names,  or  we  have  no  stand- 
ard by  which  to  test  the  application  of  the  proph- 
ecy. That  is,  whatever  power  at  any  time  should 
occupy  the  territory  which  at  first  constituted  the 
kingdom  of  the  north,  that  power,  so  long  as  it  oc- 
cupied that  territory,  would  be  the  king  of  the 
north ;  and  whatever  power  should  occupy  that 
which  at  first  constituted  the  kingdom  of  the 
south,  that  power  would  so  long  be  the  king  of  the 
south.  We  speak  of  only  these  two,  because  they 
are  the  only  ones  afterward  spoken  of  in  the  proph- 
ecy, and  because,  in  fact,  almost  the  whole  of  Alex- 


CHAPTER  XI,  VERSE  6.  299 

ander's  empire  finally  resolved  itself  into  these  two 
divisions. 

Cassander  was  very  soon  conquered  by  Ly- 
simachus,  and  his  kingdom,  Greece  and  Macedon, 
annexed  to  Thrace.  And  Lysimachus  was  in  turn 
conquered  by  Seleucus,  and  Macedon  and  Thrace 
annexed  to  Syria. 

These  facts  prepare  the  way  for  an  application  of 
the  text  before  us.  The  king  of  the  south,  Egypt, 
shall  be  strong.  Ptolemy  annexed  Cyprus,  Phoeni- 
cia, Caria,  Gyrene,  and  many  islands  and  cities  to 
Egypt.  Thus  was  his  kingdom  made  strong.  But 
another  of  Alexander's  princes  is  introduced  in  the 
expression,  "one  of  his  princes."  The  Septuagint 
translates  the  verse  thus  :  "  And  the  king  of  the 
south  shall  be  strong,  and  one  of  his  [Alexander's] 
princes  shall  be  strong  above  him."  This  must  re- 
fer to  Seleucus,  who,  as  already  stated,  having  con- 
nected Macedon  and  Thrace  to  Syria,  thus  became 
possessor  of  three  parts  out  of  four  of  Alexander's 
dominion,  and  established  a  more  powerful  king- 
dom than  that  of  Egypt. 

VERSE  6.  And  in  the  end  of  years  they  shall  join  them- 
selves together ;  for  the  king's  daughter  of  the  south  shal] 
come  to  the  king  of  the  north  to  make  an  agreement ;  but 
she  shall  not  retain  the  power  of  the  arm  ;  neither  shall  he 
stand,  nor  his  arm  ;  but  she  shall  be  given  up,  and  they 
that  brought  her,  and  he  that  begat  her,  and  he  that 
strengthened  her  in  these  times. 

There  were  frequent  wars  between  the  kings  of 
Egypt  and  Syria.  Especially  was  this  the  case 
with  Ptolemy  Philadelphus,  the  second  king  of 


300  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

Egypt,  and  Antiochus  Thetis,  third  king  of  Syria. 
They  at  length  agreed  to  make  peace  upon  condi- 
tion that  Antiochus  Theus  should  put  away  his 
former  wife,  Laodice,  and  her  two  sons,  and  should 
marry  Berenice,  the  daughter  of  Ptolemy  Phila- 
delphus.  Ptolemy  accordingly  brought  his  daugh- 
ter to  Antiochus,  bestowing  with  her  an  immense 
treasury  as  a  dowry. 

"  But  she  shall  not  retain  the  power  of  the  arm ; " 
that  is,  her  interest  and  power  with  Antiochus. 
And  so  it  proved ;  for  some  time  shortly  after,  in  a 
lit  of  love,  Antiochus  brought  back  his  former  wife, 
Laodice,  and  her  children,  to  court  again.  Then 
says  the  prophecy,  "  Neither  shall  he  [Antiochus] 
stand,  nor  his  arm,"  or  seed.  Laodice,  being  re- 
stored to  favor  and  power,  feared  lest,  in  the  fickle- 
ness of  his  temper,  Antiochus  should  again  disgrace 
her,  and  recall  Berenice  ;  and  conceiving  that  noth- 
ing short  of  his  death  would  be  an  effectual  safe- 
guard against  such  a  contingency,  she  caused  him 
to  be  poisoned  shortly  after.  Neither  did  his  seed 
by  Berenice  succeed  him  in  the  kingdom;  for  La- 
odice so  managed  affairs  as  to  secure  the  throne  for 
her  eldest  son,  Seleucus  Callinicus. 

"But  she  [Berenice]  shall  be  given  up."  Laodice, 
not  content  with  poisoning  her  husband,  Antiochus, 
caused  Berenice  to  be  murdered.  "  And  they  that 
brought  her."  Her  Egyptian  women  and  atten- 
dants, in  endeavoring  to  defend  her,  were  many  of 
them  slain  with  her.  "And  he  that  begat  her," 
margin,  "  whom  she  brought  forth ; "  that  is,  her 


CHAPTER  XI,   VERSES  7-9.  301 

son,  who  was  murdered  at  the  same  time  by  order 
of  Laodice.  "  And  he  that  strengthened  her  in 
these  times ; "  her  husband,  Antiochus,  as  Jerome 
supposes,  or  those  who  took  her  part  and  defended 
her. 

But  such  wickedness  could  not  long  remain  un- 
punished, as  the  prophecy  further  predicts,  and  his- 
tory further  proves. 

VERSE  7.  But  out  of  a  branch  of  her  roots  shall  one  stand 
up  in  his  estate,  which  shall  come  with  an  army,  and  shall 
enter  into  the  fortress  of  the  king  of  the  north,  and  shall  deal 
against  them,  and  shall  prevail ;  8.  And  shall  also  carry  cap- 
tives into  Egypt  their  gods,  with  theh*  princes,  and  with 
their  precious  vessels  of  silver  and  of  gold  ;  and  he  shall  con- 
tinue more  years  than  the  king  of  the  north.  9.  So  the  king 
of  the  south  shall  come  into  his  kingdom,  and  shall  return 
into  his  own  land. 

This  branch  out  of  the  same  root  with  Berenice, 
was  her  brother,  Ptolemy  Euergetes.  He  had  no 
sooner  succeeded  his  father,  Ptolemy  Philadelphus, 
in  the  kingdom  of  Egypt,  than,  burning  to  avenge 
the  death  of  his  sister,  Berenice,  he  raised  an  im- 
mense army  and  invaded  the  territory  of  the  king 
of  the  north,  that  is,  of  Seleucus  Callinicus,  who, 
with  his  mother,  Laodice,  reigned  in  Syria.  And 
he  prevailed  against  them,  even  to  the  conquering 
of  Syria,  Cilicia,  the  upper  parts  beyond  the  Eu- 
phrates, and  almost  all  Asia.  But  hearing  that  a 
sedition  was  raised  in  Egypt,  requiring  his  return 
home,  he  plundered  the  kingdom  of  Seleucus,  took 
forty  thousand  talents  of  silver  and  precious  vessels, 


302  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

and  two  thousand  five  hundred  inmges  of  the  gods. 
Among  these  were  the  images  which  Cambyses  had 
formerly  taken  from  Egypt  and  carried  into  Persia. 
The  Egyptians  being  wholly  given  to  idolatry,  be- 
stowed upon  Ptolemy  the  title  of  Euergetes,  or  the 
Benefactor,  as  a  compliment  for  his  having  thus, 
after  many  years,  restored  their  captive  gods. 

This,  according  to  Bishop  Newton,  is  Jerome's  ac- 
count, extracted  from  ancient  historians ;  but  there 
are  authors  still  extant,  he  says,  who  confirm  sev- 
eral of  the  same  particulars.  Appian  informs  us 
that  Laodice,  having  killed  Antiochus,  and  after 
him  both  Berenice  and  her  child,  Ptolemy,  the  son 
of  Philadelphus,  to  revenge  those  murderers,  in- 
vaded Syria,  slew  Laodice,  and  proceeded  as  far  as 
Babylon.  From  Polybius  we  learn  that  Ptolemy, 
surnamed  Euergetes,  being  greatly  incensed  at 
the  cruel  treatment  of  "his  sister,  Berenice,  marched 
with  an  army  into  Syria  and  took  the  city  of  Se- 
leucia,  which  was  kept  for  some  years  afterward  by 
the  garrisons  of  the  kings  of  Egypt.  Thus  did  he 
enter  into  the  fortress  of  the  king  of  the  north. 
Polyoenus  affirms  that  Ptolemy  made  himself  mas- 
ter of  all  the  country  from  Mount  Taurus  as  far  as 
to  India,  without  war  or  battle  ;  but  he  ascribes  it 
by  mistake  to  the  father  instead  of  the  son.  Justin 
asserts  that  if  Ptolemy  had  not  been  recalled,  by  a 
domestic  sedition,  into  Egypt,  he  would  have  pos- 
sessed the  whole  kingdom  of  Seleucus.  The  king 
of  the  south  thus  came  into  the  dominion  of  the 
king  of  the  north,  and  returned  to  his  own  land,  as 


CHATTER  XI,   VERSE  10.  303 

the  prophet  had  foretold.  And  he  also  continued 
more  years  than  the  king  of  the  north  ;  for  Seleu- 
cus Callinicus  died  in  exile,  of  a  fall  from  his  horse ; 
and  Ptolemy  Euergetes  survived  him  for  four  or 
five  years. 

VERSE  10.  But  his  sons  shall  be  stirred  up,  and  shall  as- 
semble a  multitude  of  great  forces  ;  and  one  shall  certainly 
come,  and  overflow,  and  pass  through  ;  then  shall  he  return, 
and  be  stirred  up,  even  to  his  fortress. 

The  first  part  of  this  verse  speaks  of  sons,  in  the 
-plural;  the  last  part,  of  one,  in  the  singular.  The 
sons  of  Seleucus  Callinicus,  were  Seleucus  Ceraunus 
and  Antiochus  Magnus.  These  both  entered  with 
zeal  upon  the  work  of  vindicating  and  avenging  the 
cause  of  their  father  and  their  country.  The  elder 
of  these,  Seleucus,  first  took  the  throne.  He  assem- 
bled a  great  multitude  to  recover  his  father's  do- 
minions ;  but  being  a  weak  and  pusillanimous 
prince,  both  in  body  and  estate,  destitute  of  money, 
and  unable  to  keep  his  army  in  obedience,  he  was 
poisoned  by  two  of  his  generals  after  an  inglorious 
reign  of  two  or  three  years.  His  more  capable 
brother,  Antiochus  Magnus,  was  thereupon  pro- 
claimed king,  who,  taking  charge  of  the  army,  re- 
took Seleucia,  and  recovered  Syria,  making  himself 
master  of  some  places  by  treaty,  and  of  others,  by 
force  of  arms.  A  truce  followed,  wherein  both  sides 
treated  for  peace,  yet  prepared  for  war  ;  after  which, 
Antiochus  returned  and  overcame  in  battle  Nicolaus, 
the  Egyptian  general,  and  had  thoughts  of  invading 
Egypt  itself.  Here  is  the  "  one "  who  should  cer- 
tainly overflow  and  pass  through. 


304  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

VERSE  11.  And  the  king  of  the  south  shall  be  moved  with 
choler,  and  shall  come  forth  and  fight  with  him,  even  with 
the  king  of  the  north  ;  and  he  shall  set  forth  a  great  multi- 
tude ;  but  the  multitude  shall  be  given  into  his  hand. 

Ptolemy  Philopater  succeeded  his  father,  Euergetes, 
in  the  kingdom  of  Egypt,  being  advanced  to  the 
crown  not  long  after  Antiochus  Magnus  had  suc- 
ceeded his  brother  in  the  throne  of  Syria.  He  was 
a  most  luxurious  and  vicious  prince,  but  was  at 
length  roused  at  the  prospect  of  an  invasion  of 
Egypt  by  Antiochus.  He  was  indeed  "  moved  with 
choler "  for  the  loses  he  had  sustained,  and  the  dan- 
ger which  threatened  him  ;  and  he  came  forth  out 
of  Egypt  with  a  numerous  army  to  check  the  prog- 
ress of  the  Syrian  king.  The  king  of  the  north  was 
also  to  set  forth  a  great  multitude.  The  army  of 
Antiochus,  according  to  Polybius,  amounted  on  this 
occasion  to  sixty-two  thousand  foot,  six  thousand 
horse,  and  one  hundred  and  two  elephants.  In  the 
battle,  Antiochus  was  defeated,  and  his  army,  accord- 
ing to  the  prophecy,  was  given  into  the  hands  of 
the  king  of  the  south.  Ten  thousand  foot  and  three 
thousand  horse  were  slain ;  and  over  four  thousand 
men  were  taken  prisoners ;  while  of  Ptolemy's  army, 
there  were  slain  only  seven  hundred  horse,  and  about 
twice  that  number  of  infantry. 

VERSE  12.  And  when  he  hath  taken  away  the  multitude, 
his  heart  shall  be  lifted  up ;  and  he  shall  cast  down  man} 
ten  thousands  ;  but  he  shall  not  be  strengthened  by  it. 

Ptolemy  lacked  the  prudence  to  make  a  good 
use  of  his  victory.  Had  he  followed  up  his  success, 


CHAPTER  XI,    VERSE  23.  305 

he  would  probably  have  become  master  of  the 
whole  kingdom  of  Antiochus ;  but  content  with  mak- 
ing only  a  few  menaces  and  a  few  threats,  he  made 
peace  that  he  might  be  able  to  give  himself  up  to 
the  uninterrupted  and  uncontrolled  indulgence  of 
his  brutal  passions.  Thus,  having  conquered  his 
enemies,  he  was  overcome  by  his  vices,  and,  forget- 
ful of  the  great  name  which  he  might  have  estab- 
lished, he  spent  his  time  in  feasting  and  lewdness. 
His  heart  was  lifted  up  by  his  success,  but  he  was 
far  from  being  strengthened  by  it ;  for  the  inglori- 
ous use  he  made  of  it,  caused  his  own  subjects  to 
rebel  against  him.  But  the  lifting  up  of  his  heart 
was  more  especially  manifested  in  his  transactions 
with  the  Jews.  Coming  to  Jerusalem,  he  there  of- 
fered sacrifices,  and  was  very  desirous  of  entering 
into  the  most  holy  place  of  the  temple,  contrary  to 
the  law  and  religion  of  that  place ;  but  being, 
though  with  great  difficulty,  restrained,  he  left  the 
place,  burning  with  anger  against  the  whole  nation 
of  the  Jews,  and  immediately  commenced  against 
them  a  terrible  and  relentless  persecution.  In  Al- 
exandria, where  Jews  had  resided  since  the  days  of 
Alexander,  and  enjoyed  the  privileges  of  the  most 
favored  citizens,  forty  thousand,  according  to  Euse- 
bius,  sixty,  according  to  Jerome,  were  slain  in  this 
persecution.  The  rebellion  of  the  Egyptians,  and 
this  massacre  of  the  Jews,  certainly  was  not  calcu- 
lated to  strengthen  him  in  his  kingdom,  but  was 
sufficient  rather  to  almost  totally  ruin  it. 

VERSE  13.   For  the  king  of  the  north  shall  return,  and 
20 


306  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

shall  set  forth  a  multitude  greater  than  the  former,  and  shall 
certainly  come  after  certain  years  with  a  great  army  and 
with  much  riches. 

The  events  predicted  in  this  verse  were  to  occur 
"  after  certain  years."  The  peace  concluded  be- 
tween Ptolemy  Philopater  and  Antiochus,  lasted 
fourteen  years.  Meanwhile  Ptolemy  died  from  in- 
temperance and  debauchery,  and  was  succeeded  by 
his  son,  Ptolemy  Epiphanes,  a  child  then  four  or  five 
years  old.  Antiochus,  during  the  same  time,  hav- 
ing suppressed  rebellion  in  his  kingdom,  and  reduced 
and  settled  the  eastern  parts  in  their  obedience,  was 
at  leisure  for  any  enterprise,  when  young  Epipha- 
nes came  to  the  throne  of  Egypt;  and  thinking 
this  too  good  an  opportunity  for  enlarging  his  do- 
minion to  be  let  slip,  he  raised  an  immense  army, 
"greater  than  the  former"  (for  he  had  collected 
many  forces  and  acquired  great  riches  in  his  eastern 
expedition),  and  set  out  against  Egypt,  expecting  to 
have  an  easy  victory  over  the  infant  king.  How 
he  succeeded,  we  shall  presently  see ;  for  here  new 
complications  enter  into  the  affairs  of  these  king- 
doms, and  new  actors  are  introduced  upon  the  stage 
of  history. 

VERSE  14.  And  in  those  times  there  shall  many  stand  up 
against  the  king  of  the  south  ;  also  the  robbers  of  thy  people 
shall  exalt  themselves  to  establish  the  vision  ;  but  they  shall 
fall. 

Antiochus  was  not  the  only  one  who  rose  up 
against  the  infant  Ptolerny.  Agathocles,  his  prime 
minister,  having  possession  of  the  king's  person, 


CHAPTER  XI,  VERSE  14.  307 

and  conducting  the  affairs  of  the  kingdom  in  his 
stead,  was  so  dissolute  and  proud  in  the  exercise  of 
his  power,  that  the  provinces,  which  before  were 
subject  to  Egypt,  rebelled ;  Egypt  itself  was  dis- 
turbed by  seditions ;  and  the  Alexandrians  rising 
up  against  Agathocles,  caused  him,  his  sister,  his 
mother,  and  their  associates,  to  be  put  to  death. 
At  the  same  time,  Philip,  king  of  Macedon,  entered 
into  a  league  with  Antiochus,  to  divide  the  domin- 
ions of  Ptolemy  between  them,  each  proposing  to 
take  the  parts  which  lay  nearest  and  most  conven- 
ient to  him.  Here  was  a  rising  up  against  the  king 
of  the  south,  sufficient  to  fulfill  the  prophecy,  and 
the  very  events,  beyond  doubt,  which  the  prophecy 
intended. 

A  new  power  is  now  introduced — "  the  robbers  of 
thy  people;"  literally,  says  Bishop  Newton,  "the 
breakers  of  thy  people."  Far  away  on  the  banks  of 
the  Tiber,  a  kingdom  had  been  nourishing  itself  with 
ambitious  projects  and  dark  designs.  Small  and 
weak  at  first,  it  grew  with  marvelous  rapidity  in 
strength  and  vigor,  reaching  out  cautiously  here 
and  there  to  try  its  prowess,  and  test  the  vigor  of 
its  warlike  arm,  till,  conscious  of  its  power,  it 
boldly  reared  its  head  among  the  nations  of  the 
earth,  and  seized  with  invincible  hand  the  helm  of 
their  affairs.  Henceforth  the  name  of  Rome  stands 
upon  the  historic  page,  destined  for  long  ages  to 
control  the  affairs  of  the  world,  and  exert  a  mighty 
influence  among  the  nations,  even  to  the  end  of 
time. 


308  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 


Rome  spoke;  and  Syria  and  Macedonia  soon 
found  a  change  coming  over  the  aspect  of  their 
dream.  The  Romans  interfered  in  behalf  of  the 
young  king  of  Egypt,  determined  that  he  should  be 
protected  from  the  ruin  devised  by  Antiochus  and 
Philip.  This  was  B.  c.  200,  and  was  one  of  the  first 
important  interferences  of  the  Romans  in  the  af- 
fairs of  Syria  and  Egypt.  Rollin  furnishes  the 
following  succinct  account  of  this  matter : — 

Antiochus,  king  of  Syria,  and  Philip,  king  of  Macedonia, 
during  the  reign  of  Ptolemy  Philopater,  had  discovered  the 
strongest  zeal  for  the  interest  of  that  monarch,  and  were 
ready  to  assist  him  on  all  occasions.  Yet,  no  sooner  was  he 
dead,  leaving  behind  him  an  infant,  whom  the  laws  of  hu- 
manity and  justice  enjoined  them  not  to  disturb  in  the  pos- 
session of  his  father's  kingdom,  than  they  immediately  joined 
in  a  criminal  alliance,  and  excited  each  other  to  shake  off 
the  lawful  heir,  and  divide  his  dominions  between  them. 
Philip  was  to  have  Caria,  Libya,  Cyrenaica,  and  Egypt  ;  and 
Antiochus,  all  the  rest.  With  this  view,  the  latter  entered 
Coale-Syria  and  Palestine,  and,  in  less  than  two  campaigns, 
made  an  entire  conquest  of  the  two  provinces,  with  all  their 
cities  and  dependencies.  Their  guilt,  says  Polybius,  would 
not  have  been  quite  so  glaring,  had  they,  like  tyrants,  en- 
deavored to  gloss  over  their  crimes  with  some  specious  pre- 
tense ;  but,  so  far  from  doing  this,  thoir  in  justice  and  cruelty 
were  so  barefaced,  that  to  them  was  applied  what  is  gener- 
ally said  of  fishes,  that  the  larger  ones,  though  of  the  same 
species,  prey  on  the  lesser.  One  would  be  tempted,  contin- 
ues the  same  author,  at  seeing  the  most  sacred  laws  of  society 
so  openly  violated,  to  accuse  Providence  of  being  indifferent 
and  insensible  to  most  horrid  crimes  ;  but  it  fully  justified 
its  conduct,  by  punishing  those  two  kings  according  to  their 
deserts ;  and  made  such  an  example  of  them  as  ought,  in  all 
succeeding  ages,  to  deter  others  from  following  their  example. 


CHAPTER  XI,  VERSE  15.  309 

For,  while  they  were  meditating  to  dispossess  a  weak  and 
helpless  infant  of  his  kingdom,  by  piecemeal,  Providence 
raised  up  the  Romans  against  them,  who  entirely  subverted 
the  kingdoms  of  Philip  and  Antioohus,  and  reduced  their 
successors  to  almost  as  great  calamities  as  those  with  which 
they  intended  to  crush  the  infant  king. " — Anc.  His.  b.  18,  c.  L 

"  To  establish  the  vision."  The  Romans,  being 
more  prominently  than  any  other  people  the  subject 
of  Daniel's  prophecy,  their  first  interference  in  the 
affairs  of  these  kingdoms  is  here  referred  to  as  being 
the  establishment  or  demonstration  of  the  truth  of 
the  vision  which  predicted  the  existence  of  such  a 
power. 

"But  they  shall  fall."  Some  refer  this  to  those 
mentioned  in  the  first  part  of  the  verse  who  should 
stand  up  against  the  king  of  the  south ;  others,  to 
the  robbers  of  Daniel's  people,  the  Romans.  It  is 
true  in  either  case.  If  those  who  combined  against 
Ptolemy  are  referred  to,  all  that  need  be  said  is  that 
they  did  speedily  fall ;  and  if  it  applies  to  the 
Romans,  the  prophecy  simply  looked  forward  to  the 
period  of  their  overthrow. 

VERSE  15.  So  the  king  of  the  north  shall  come,  and  cast 
up  a  mount,  and  take  the  most  fenced  cities  ;  and  the  arms 
of  the  south  shall  not  withstand,  neither  his  chosen  people, 
neither  shall  there  be  any  strength  to  withstand. 

The  tuition  of  the  young  king  of  Egypt  was  in- 
trusted by  the  Roman  Senate  to  M.  Emilius  Lepi- 
dus,  who  appointed  Aristomenes,  an  old  and  experi- 
enced minister  of  that  court,  his  guardian.  His 
first  act  was  to  provide  against  the  threatened  in- 
vasion of  the  two  confederated  kings,  Philip  and 


310  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

Antiochus.  To  this  end,  he  dispatched  Scopas,  a 
famous  general  of  ^Etolia,  then  in  the  service  of  the 
Egyptians,  into  his  native  country  to  raise  reinforce- 
ments for  the  army.  Having  equipped  an  army, 
he  marched  into  Palestine  and  Coele-Syria  (Anti- 
ochus being  engaged  in  a  war  with  Attains  in 
lesser  Asia),  and  reduced  all  Judea  into  subjection 
to  the  authority  of  Egypt. 

Thus  affairs  were  brought  into  a  posture  for  the 
fulfillment  of  the  verse  before  us.  For  Antiochus, 
desisting  from  his  war  with  Attalus  at  the  dicta- 
tion of  the  Romans,  took  speedy  steps  for  the  re- 
covery of  Palestine  and  Ccele- Syria  from  the  hands 
of  the  Egyptians.  Scopas  was  sent  to  oppose  him. 
Near  the  sources  of  the  Jordan,  the  two  armies  met. 
Scopas  was  defeated,  pursued  to  Sidon,  and  there 
closely  besieged.  Three  of  the  ablest  generals  of 
Egypt,  with  their  best  forces,  were  sent  to  raise  the 
siege,  but  without  success.  At  length  Scopas, 
meeting,  in  the  gaunt  and  intangible  specter  of 
famine,  a  foe  with  whom  he  was  unable  to  cope, 
was  forced  to  surrender  on  the  dishonorable  terms 
of  life  only ;  whereupon  he  and  his  ten  thousand 
men  were  suffered  to  depart,  stripped  and  naked. 
Here  was  the  taking  of  the  most  fenced  cities  by 
the  king  of  the  north ;  for  Sidon  was,  both  in  its 
situation  and  its  defenses,  one  of  the  strongest  cities 
of  those  times.  Here  was  the  failure  of  the  arms 
of  the  south  to  withstand,  and  the  failure  also  of 
the  people  which  the  king  of  the  south  had  chosen, 
namely,  Scopas  and  his  ^Etolian  forces. 


CHAPTER  XI,  VERSE  16.  311 

VERSE  16.  But  he  that  cometh  against  him  shall  do  ac- 
cording to  his  own  will,  and  none  shall  stand  before  him ; 
and  he  shall  stand  in  the  glorious  land,  which  by  his  hand 
shall  be  consumed. 

Although  Egypt  could  not  stand  before  Anti- 
ochus,  the  king  of  the  north,  Antiochus  could  not 
stand  before  the  Romans,  who  now  came  against 
him.  No  kingdoms  were  longer  able  to  resist  this 
rising  power.  Syria  was  conquered  and  added  to 
the  Roman  Empire,  when  Pompey,  B.  c.  65,  de- 
prived Antiochus  Asiaticus  of  his  possessions,  and 
reduced  Syria  to  a  Roman  province. 

The  same  power  was  also  to  stand  in  the  holy 
land  and  consume  it.  Rome  became  connected 
with  the  people  of  God,  the  Jews,  by  alliance,  B.  c. 
161,  from  which  date  it  holds  a  prominent  place  in 
the  prophetic  calendar.  It  did  not,  however,  ac- 
quire jurisdiction  over  Judea  by  actual  conquest  till 
B.  c.  63  ;  and  then  in  the  following  manner : — 

On  Pompey 's  return  from  his  expedition  against 
Mithridates,  king  of  Pontus,  two  competitors,  Hyr- 
canus  and  Aristobulus,  were  struggling  for  the 
crown  of  Judea.  Their  cause  came  before  Pompey, 
who  soon  perceived  the  injustice  of  the  claims  of 
Aristobulus,  but  wished  to  defer  decision  in  the 
matter  till  after  his  long  coveted  expedition  into 
Arabia,  promising  then  to  return  and  settle  their 
affairs,  as  should  seem  just  and  proper.  Aristobu- 
lu's,  fathoming  Pompey 's  real  sentiments,  hastened 
back  to  Judea,  armed  his  subjects,  and  prepared 
for  a  vigorous  defense,  determined,  at  all  hazards, 


312  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

to  keep  that  crown  which  he  foresaw  would  be  ad- 
judicated to  another.  Pompey  closely  followed  the 
fugitive.  As  he  approached  Jerusalem,  Aristobu- 
lus,  beginning  to  repent  of  his  course,  came  out  to 
meet  him,  and  endeavored  to  accommodate  matters 
by  promising  entire  submission,  and  large  sums  of 
money.  Pompey,  accepting  this  offer,  sent  Ga- 
binius  at  the  head  of  a  detachment  of  soldiers,  to 
receive  the  money.  But  when  that  lieutenant-gen- 
eral arrived  at  Jerusalem,  he  found  the  gates  shut 
against  him,  and  was  told  from  the  top  of  the  walls 
that  the  city  would  not  stand  to  the  agreement. 

Pompey,  not  to  be  deceived  in  this  way  with  im- 
punity, put  Aristobulus,  whom  he  had  retained  with 
him,  in  irons,  and  immediately  marched  against  Je- 
rusalem with  his  whole  army.  The  partisans  of 
Aristobulus  were  for  defending  the  place ;  those  of 
Hyrcanus,  for  opening  the  gates.  The  latter  being 
in  the  majority,  and  prevailing,  Pompey  was  given 
free  entrance  into  the  city.  Whereupon  the  adhe- 
rents of  Aristobulus  retired  to  the  mountain  of  the 
temple,  as  fully  determined  to  defend  that  place  as 
Pompey  was  to  reduce  it.  At  the  end  of  three 
months,  a  breach  was  made  in  the  wall  sufficient 
for  an  assault,  and  the  place  was  carried  at  the 
point  of  the  sword.  In  the  terrible  slaughter  that 
ensued,  twelve  thousand  persons  were  slain.  It 
was  an  affecting  sight,  observes  the  historian,  .to 
see  the  priests,  engaged  at  the  time  in  divine  ser- 
vice, pursue  with  calm  hand  and  steady  purpose, 
their  accustomed  work,  apparently  unconscious  Ox 


CHAPTER  XI,  VERSE  17.  313 

the  wild  tumult,  though  all  around  them  their 
friends  were  being  given  to  the  slaughter,  and 
though  often  their  own  blood  mingled  with  that  of 
their  sacrifices. 

Having  put  an  end  to  the  war,  Pompey  demol- 
ished the  walls  of  Jerusalem,  transferred  several 
cities  from  the  jurisdiction  of  Judea  to  that  of 
Syria,  and  imposed  tribute  on  the  Jews.  Thus  for 
the  first  time  was  Jerusalem  placed  by  conquest  in 
the  hands  of  that  power  which  was  to  hold  the 
"  glorious  land  "  in  its  iron  grasp  till  it  had  utterly 
consumed  it. 

VERSE  17.  He  shall  also  set  his  face  to  enter  with  the 
strength  of  his  whole  kingdom,  and  upright  ones  with  him  ; 
thus  shall  he  do  :  and  he  shall  give  him  the  daughter  of 
women,  corrupting  her  ;  but  she  shall  not  stand  on  his  side, 
neither  be  for  him. 

Bishop  Newton  furnishes  another  reading  for  the 
verse,  which  seems  to  express  more  clearly  the  sense, 
as  follows :  "  He  shall  also  set  his  face  to  enter  by 
force  the  whole  kingdom."  Verse  16  brought  us 
down  to  the  conquest  of  Syria  and  Judea  by  the 
Romans.  Rome  had  previously  conquered  Mace- 
don  and  Thrace.  Egypt  was  now  all  that  remained 
of  the  "  whole  kingdom  "  of  Alexander,  not  brought 
into  subjection  to  the  Roman  power,  which  power 
now  set  its  face  to  enter  by  force  into  that  country. 

Ptolemy  Auletes  died  B.  c.  51.  He  left  the 
crown  and  kingdom  of  Egypt  to  his  eldest  son  and 
daughter,  Ptolemy  and  Cleopatra.  It  was  provided 
in  his  will  that  they  should  marry  together  and 


314  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

reign  jointly ;  and  because  they  were  young,  they 
were  placed  under  the  guardianship  of  the  Romans. 
The  Roman  people  accepted  the  charge,  and  ap- 
pointed Ponipey  as  guardian  of  the  young  heirs  of 
Egypt. 

A  quarrel  having  not  long  after  broken  out  be- 
tween Pompey  and  Caesar,  the  famous  battle  of 
Pharsalia  was  fought  between  the  two  generals. 
Pompey,  being  defeated,  fled  into  Egypt.  Caesar 
immediately  followed  him  thither;  but  before  his 
arrival,  Pompey  was  basely  murdered  by  Ptolemy, 
whose  guardian  he  had  been  appointed.  Caesar 
therefore  assumed  the  appointment  which  had  been 
given  to  Pompey,  as  guardian  of  Ptolemy  and  Cle- 
opatra. He  found  Egypt  in  commotion  from  in- 
testine disturbances,  Ptolemy  and  Cleopatra  having 
become  hostile  to  each  other,  and  she  being  deprived 
of  her  share  in  the  government.  Notwithstand- 
ing this,  he  did  not  hesitate  to  land  at  Alexandria 
with  his  small  force,  800  horse  and  3,200  foot,  take 
cognizance  of  the  quarrel,  and  undertake  its  settle- 
ment. The  troubles  daily  increasing,  Caesar  found 
his  small  force  to  be  insufficient  to  maintain  his  po- 
sition, and  being  unable  to  leave  Egypt  on  account 
of  the  north  wind  which  blew  at  that  season,  he 
sent  into  Asia,  ordering  all  the  troops  he  had  in 
that  quarter  to  come  to  his  assistance  as  soon  as 
possible. 

In  the  most  haughty  manner  he  decreed  that 
Ptolemy  and  Cleopatra  should  disband  their  armies, 
appear  before  him  for  a  settlement  of  their  differ- 


CHAPTER  XI,  VERSE  27.  315 

ences,  and  abide  by  his  decision.  Egypt  being  an 
independent  kingdom,  this  haughty  decree  was 
considered  an  affront  to  its  royal  dignity,  at  which 
the  Egyptians,  highly  incensed,  flew  to  arms.  Cae- 
sar replied  that  he  acted  by  virtue  of  the  will  of 
their  father  Auletes,  who  had  put  his  children  un- 
der the  guardianship  of  the  senate  and  people  of 
Rome,  the  whole  authority  of  which  was  now 
vested  in  his  person  as  consul ;  and  that,  as  guard- 
ian, he  had  the  right  to  arbitrate  between  them. 

The  matter  was  finally  brought  before  him,  and 
advocates  appointed  to  plead  the  cause  of  the  re- 
spective parties.  Cleopatra,  aware  of  the  foible  of 
the  great  Roman  conqueror,  judged  that  the  beauty 
of  her  presence  would  be  more  effectual  in  securing 
judgment  in  her  favor  than  any  advocate  she  could 
employ.  To  reach  his  presence  undetected,  she 
had  recourse  to  the  following  strategem :  Laying 
herself  at  full  length  in  a  bundle  of  clothes,  Apollo- 
dorus,  her  Sicilian  servant,  wrapped  it  up  in  a  cloth, 
tied  it  with  a  thong,  and  raising  it  upon  his  Her- 
culean shoulders,  sought  the  apartments  of  Csesar. 
Claiming  to  have  a  present  for  the  Roman  general, 
he  was  admitted  through  the  gate  of  the  citadel, 
entered  into  the  presence  of  Csesar,  and  deposited 
the  burden  at  his  feet.  Undoing  the  bundle,  the 
beautiful  Cleopatra  stood  before  him.  Caesar  was 
far  from  being  displeased  with  the  strategem,  and, 
being  of  a  character  described  in  2  Pet.  2 : 14,  the 
first  sight  of  so  beautiful  a  person,  says  Rollin,  had 
all  the  effect  upon  him  she  had  desired. 


316  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

Caesar  at  length  decreed  that  the  brother  and  sis- 
ter should  occupy  the  throne  jointly,  according  to 
the  intent  of  the  will.  Pothinus,  the  chief  minister 
of  State,  having  been  principally  instrumental  in 
expelling  Cleopatra  from  the  throne,  feared  the  re- 
sult of  her  restoration.  He  therefore  began  to  ex- 
cite jealousy  and  hostility  against  Caesar,  by  insin- 
uating among  the  populace  that  he  designed 
eventually  to  give  Cleopatra  the  sole  power.  Open 
sedition  soon  followed.  Achillas,  at  the  head  of 
20,000  men,  advanced  to  drive  Caesar  from  Alexan- 
dria. Skillfully  disposing  his  small  body  of  men 
in  the  streets  and  alleys  of  the  city,  Caesar  found 
no  difficulty  in  repelling  the  attack.  The  Egyp- 
tians undertook  to  destroy  his  fleet.  He  retorted  by 
burning  theirs.  Some  of  the  burning  vessels  be- 
ing driven  near  the  quay,  several  of  the  buildings 
of  the  city  took  fire,  and  the  famous  Alexandrian 
library,  containing  nearly  400,000  volumes,  was  de- 
stroyed. 

The  war  growing  more  threatening,  Caesar  sent 
into  all  the  neighboring  countries  for  help.  A 
large  fleet  came  from  Asia  Minor  to  his  assistance. 
Mithridates  set  out  for  Egypt  with  an  army  raised 
in  Syria  and  Cilicia.  Antipater,  the  Idumean,  joined 
him  with  3000  Jews.  The  Jews,  who  held  the 
passes  into  Egypt,  permitted  the  army  to  pass  on 
without  interruption.  Without  this,  the  whole  plan 
must  have  failed.  The  arrival  of  this  army  decided 
the  contest.  A  decisive  battle  was  fought  near  the 
Nile,  resulting  in  a  complete  victory  for  Caesar. 


CHAPTER  XI,  VERSE  18.  317 

Ptolemy  attempting  to  escape,  was  drowned  in  the 
river.  Alexandria  and  all  Egypt  then  submitted  to 
the  victor.  Rome  had  now  entered  into,  and  ab- 
sorbed, the  whole  of  the  original  kingdom  of  Alex- 
ander. 

By  the  "  upright  ones  "  of  the  text,  are  doubt- 
less meant  the  Jews,  who  gave  him  the  assistance 
already  mentioned.  Without  this,  he  must  have 
failed ;  with  it,  he  completely  subdued  Egypt  to  his 
power,  B.  c.  47. 

"  The  daughter  of  women,  corrupting  her."  The 
passion  which  Caesar  had  conceived  for  Cleopa- 
tra, by  whom  he  had  one  son,  is  assigned  by  the  his- 
torian as  the  sole  reason  of  his  undertaking  so  dan- 
gerous a  campaign  as  the  Egyptian  war.  This  kept 
him  much  longer  in  Egypt  than  his  affairs  required, 
he  spending  whole  nights  in  feasting  and  carousing 
with  the  dissolute  queen.  But,  said  the  prophet, 
she  shall  not  stand  on  his  side,  neither  be  for  him. 
Cleopatra  afterward  joined  herself  to  Antony,  the 
enemy  of  Augustus  Caesar,  and  exerted  her  whole 
power  against  Rome. 

VERSE  18.  After  this  shall  he  turn  his  face  unto  the  isles, 
and  shall  take  many  :  but  a  prince  for  his  own  behalf  shall 
cause  the  reproach  offered  by  him  to  cease  ;  without  his  own 
reproach  he  shall  cause  it  to  turn  upon  him. 

War  with  Pharnaces,  king  of  the  Cimmerian 
Bosporus,  at  length  drew  him  away  from  Egypt. 
"  On  his  arrival  where  the  enemy  was,"  says  Prid- 
eaux,  "he,  without  giving  any  respite  either  to 
himself  or  them,  immediately  fell  on,  and  gained  an 


318  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

absolute. victory  over,  them;  an  account  whereof  he 
wrote  to  a  friend  of  his  in  these  three  words :  Veni, 
vidi,  vici,  I  came,  I  saw,  I  conquered."  The  latter 
part  of  this  verse  is  involved  in  some  obscurity,  and 
there  is  difference  of  opinion  in  regard  to  its  appli- 
cation. Some  apply  it  farther  back  in  Caesar's  life, 
and  think  they  find  a  fulfillment  in  his  quarrel  with 
Pompey.  But  we  think  that  preceding  and  subse- 
quent events,  clearly  defined  in  the  prophecy,  com- 
pel us  to  look  for  the  fulfillment  of  this  part  of  the 
prediction  between  the  victory  over  Pharnaces,  and 
Caesar's  death  at  Rome  as  brought  to  view  in  the 
following  verse.  A  more  fall  history  of  this  pe- 
riod might  bring  to  view  events  which  would  render 
the  application  of  this  passage  unembarrassed. 

VERSE  19.  Then  he  shall  turn  his  face  toward  the  fort  of 
his  own  land;  but  he  shall  stumble  and  fall,  and  not  be 
found. 

After  this  conquest,  Caesar  defeated  the  last  re- 
maining fragments  of  Pompey 's  party,  Cato  and 
Scipio  in  Africa,  and  Labienus  and  Varus  in  Spain. 
Ee turning  to  Rome,  the  "  fort  of  his  own  land,"  he 
was  made  perpetual  dictator ;  and  such  other  pow- 
ers and  honors  were  granted  him,  as  rendered  him 
in  fact  absolute  sovereign  of  the  whole  empire. 
But  the  prophet  had  said  that  he  should  stumble  and 
fall.  The  language  implies  that  his  overthrow 
would  be  sudden  and  unexpected,  like  a  person  ac- 
cidentally stumbling  in  his  walk.  And  so  this  man, 
who  had  fought  and  won  five  hundred  battles,  taken 
one  thousand  cities,  and  slain  one  million  one  hun- 


CHATTER  XI,  VERSE  20.  319 

dred  and  ninety-two  thousand  men,  fell,  not  in  the 
din  of  battle  and  the  hour  of  strife,  but  when  he 
thought  his  pathway  was  smooth  and  strewn  with 
flowers,  and  when  danger  was  supposed  to  be  far 
away ;  for,  taking  his  seat  in  the  senate  chamber, 
upon  his  throne  of  gold,  to  receive  at  the  hands  of 
that  body  the  title  of  king,  the  dagger  of  treachery 
suddenly  struck  him  to  the  heart.  Cassius,  Brutus, 
and  other  conspirators,  rushed  upon  him,  and  he 
fell,  pierced  with  twenty-three  wounds.  Thus  he 
suddenly  stumbled  and  fell,  and  was  not  found,  B.  c. 
44. 

VERSE  20.  Then  shall  stand  up  in  his  estate  a  raiser  of 
taxes  in  the  glory  of  the  kingdom  ;  but  within  few  days  he 
shall  be  destroyed,  neither  in  anger,  nor  in  battle. 

Augustus  Caesar  succeeded  his  uncle  Julius,  by 
whom  he  had  been  adopted  as  his  successor.  Being 
in  a  distant  province  engaged  in  the  study  of  rhet- 
oric and  eloquence,  when  he  heard  of  his  uncle's 
tragical  death,  he  displayed  marked  ability  in  re- 
turning to  Rome,  placing  himself  at  the  head  of  the 
army,  and  establishing  himself  the  successor  to  Ju- 
lius, according  to  his  design.  He  publicly  an- 
nounced his  adoption  by  his  uncle,  and  took  his 
name,  to  which  he  added  that  of  Octavianus.  Com- 
bining with  Mark  Antony  and  Lepidus,  to  avenge 
the  death  of  Cresar,  they  formed  what  is  called  the 
Triumvirate  form  of  government.  Having  subse- 
quently firmly  established  himself  in  the  empire, 
the  senate  conferred  upon  him  the  title  of  Augustus, 
and  the  other  members  of  the  Triumvirate  being 
now  dead,  he  became  supreme  ruler. 


320  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

He  was  emphatically  a  raiser  of  taxes.  Luke,  in 
speaking  of  the  events  that  transpired  at  the  time 
when  Christ  was  born,  says :  "  And  it  came  to  pass 
in  those  days  that  there  went  out  a  decree  from 
Caesar  Augustus  that  all  the  world  should  be  taxed." 
Luke  2 : 1.  That  taxing  which  embraced  all  the 
world  was  an  event  worthy  of  notice ;  and  the  per- 
son who  enforced  it  has  certainly  a  claim  to  the 
title  of  "a  raiser  of  taxes,"  above  every. other  com- 
petitor. 

And  he  stood  up  in  the  glory  of  the  kingdom. 
Rome  stood  in  his  days  at  the  pinnacle  of  its  great- 
ness and  power.  The  "  Augustan  Age  "  is  an  ex- 
pression everywhere  used  to  denote  the  golden  age 
of  Koman  history.  Rome  never  saw  a  brighter 
hour.  Peace  was  promoted,  justice  maintained, 
luxury  curbed,  discipline  established,  and  learning 
encouraged.  In  his  reign,  the  temple  of  Janus  was 
for  the  third  time  shut,  since  the  foundation  of 
Rome,  signifying  that  all  the  world  was  at  peace ; 
and  at  this  auspicious  hour,  our  Lord  was  born  in 
Bethlehem  of  Judea.  In  a  little  less  than  eight- 

O 

een  years  after  the  taxing  brought  to  view,  seem- 
ing but  a  "few  days"  to  the  distant  gaze  of  the 
prophet,  Augustus  died,  not  in  anger  nor  in  battle, 
but  peacefully  in  his  bed,  at  Nola  whither  he  had 
gone  to  seek  repose  and  health,  A.  D.  14,  in  the  76th 
year  of  his  age. 

VERSE  21.  And  in  his  estate  shall  stand  up  a  vile  person, 
to  whom  they  shall  not  give  the  honor  of  the  kingdom  ;  but 
he  shall  come  in  peaceably,  and  obtain  the  kingdom  by  flat- 
teries. 


CHAPTER  XI,    VERSE  21. 


321 


Tiberius  Caesar  next  appeared  after  Augustus 
Caesar  on  the  Roman  throne.  He  was  raised  to  the 
consulate  in  his  twenty- eighth  year.  It  is  recorded 
that  as  Augustus  was  about  to  nominate  his  suc- 
cessor, his  wife  Li  via  besought  him  to  nominate  Ti- 
berius (her  son  by  a  former  husband) ;  but  the  em- 
peror said,  "  Your  son  is  too  vile  to  wear  the  purple 
of  Rome;"  and  the  nomination  was  given  to 
Agrippa,  a  very  virtuous  and  much-respected  Roman 
citizen.  But  the  prophecy  had  foreseen  that  a  vile 
person  should  succeed  Augustus.  Agrippa  died : 
and  Augustus  was  again  under  the  necessity  of 
choosing  a  successor.  Livia  renewed  her  interces- 
sions for  Tiberius ;  and  Augustus,  weakened  by  age 
and  sickness,  was  more  easily  flattered,  and  finally 
consented  to  nominate  as  his  colleague  and  suc- 
cessor, that  "  vile "  young  man.  But  the  citizens 
never  gave  him  the  love,  respect,  and  "  honor  of  the 
kingdom,"  due  to  an  upright  and  faithful  sovereign. 

How  clear  a  fulfillment  is  this  of  the  prediction 
that  they  should  not  give  him  the  honor  of  the 
kingdom.  But  he  was  to  come  in  peaceably  and 
obtain  the  kingdom  by  flatteries.  A  paragraph 
from  the  Encyclopedia  Americana,  shows  how 
this  was  fulfilled : — 

"During  the  remainder  of  the  life  of  Augustus,  he  [Tibe- 
rius] behaved  with  great  prudence  and  ability,  concluding  a 
war  with  the  Germans  in  such  a  manner  as  to  merit  a  tri- 
umph. After  the  defeat  of  Yarus  and  his  legions,  he  was 
sent  to  check  the  progress  of  the  victorious  Germans,  and 
acted  in  that  war  with  equal  spirit  and  prudence.  On  the 
death  of  Augustus,  he  succeeded,  without  opposition,  to  the 
21 


322  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

sovereignty  of  the  empire  ;  which,  however,  with  his  charac- 
teristic dissimulation,  he  affected  to  decline,  until  repeatedly 
solicited  by  the  servile  senate." 

Dissimulation  on  his  part,  flattery  on  the  part  of 
the  servile  senate,  and  a  possession  of  the  kingdom 
without  opposition — such  were  the  circumstances 
attending  his  accession  to  the  throne ;  and  such 
were  the  circumstances  for  which  the  prophecy 
called. 

The  person  brought  to  view  in  the  text  is  called 
"a  vile  person."  Was  such  the  character  sustained 
by  Tiberius  ?  Let  another  paragraph  from  the 
Encyclopedia  answer : — 

"  Tacitus  records  the  events  of  this  reign,  including  the 
suspicious  death  of  Germanicus,  the  detestable  administra- 
tion of  Se janus,  the  poisoning  of  Drusus,  with  all  the  ex- 
traordinary mixture  of  tyranny  with  occasional  wisdom  and 
good  sense,  which  distinguished  the  conduct  of  Tiberius,  un- 
til his  infamous  and  dissolute  retirement,  A.  D.  26,  to  the 
isle  of  Caprese,  in  the  bay  of  Naples,  never  to  return  to 
Rome.  On  the  death  of  Livia,  A.  D.  29,  the  only  restraint 
upon  his  actions  and  those  of  the  detestable  Sejanus,  was 
removed,  and  the  destruction  of  the  widow  and  family  of 
Germanicus  followed.  At  length  the  infamous  favorite  ex- 
tending his  views  to  the  empire  itself,  Tiberius,  informed 
of  his  machinations,  prepared  to  encounter  him  with  his  fa- 
vorite weapon,  dissimulation.  Although  fully  resolved  upon 
his  destruction,  he  accumulated  honors  upon  him,  declared 
him  his  partner  in  the  consulate,  and,  after  long  playing 
with  his  credulity,  and  that  of  the  senate,  who  thought  him 
in  greater  favor  than  ever,  he  artfully  prepared  for  his  ar- 
rest. Sejanus  fell  deservedly  and  unpitied  ;  but  many  in- 
iiocent  persons  shared  in  his  destruction,  in  consequence  of 
the  suspicion  and  cruelty  of  Tiberius,  which  now  exceeded 


CHAPTER  XI,    VERSE  SS. 


all  limits.  The  remainder  of  the  reign  of  this  tyrant  is  lit- 
tle more  than  a  disgusting  narrative  of  servility  on  the  one 
hand,  and  of  despotic  ferocity  on  the  other.  That  he  him- 
self endured  as  much  misery  as  he  inflicted,  is  evident  from 
the  following  commencement  of  one  of  his  letters  to  the  sen- 
ate :  '  What  I  shall  write  to  you,  conscript  fathers,  or  what 
I  shall  not  write,  or  why  I  should  write  at  all,  may  the  gods 
and  goddesses  plague  me  more  than  I  feel  daily  that  they  are 
doing,  if  I  can  tell.'  '  What  mental  torture,'  observes  Tac- 
itus, in  reference  to  this  passage,  '  which  could  extort  such 
a  confession  !'  " 

"  Seneca  remarks  of  Tiberius  that  he  was  never  intoxi- 
cated but  once  in  his  life  ;  for  he  continued  in  a  state  of 
perpetual  intoxication  from  the  time  he  gave  himself  to 
drinking,  to  the  last  moment  of  his  life.  " 

Tyranny,  hyprocrisy,  infamous  debauchery,  and 
beastly  intemperance  —  if  these  traits  and  practices 
show  a  man  to  be  vile,  Tiberius  exhibited  that  char- 
acter in  disgusting  perfection. 

VERSE  22.  And  with  the  arms  of  a  flood  shall  they  be 
overflown  from  before  him,  and  shall  be  broken  ;  yea,  also 
the  prince  of  the  covenant. 

Bishop  Newton  presents  the  following  reading  as 
agreeing  better  with  the  original  :  "And  the  arms 
of  the  overflower  shall  be  overflown  from  before 
him,  and  shall  be  broken."  The  expressions  signify 
revolution  and  violence;  and  in  fulfillment  we 
should  look  for  the  arms  of  Tiberius,  the  overflower, 
to  be  overflown,  or,  in  other  words,  for  him  to  suf- 
fer a  violent  death.  To  show  how  this  was  accom- 
plished, we  again  have  recourse  to  the  Encyclopedia 
Americana,  art.  Tiberius  :  — 


324  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

"Acting  the  hypocrite  to  the  last,  he  disguised  his  increas- 
ing debility  as  much  as  he  was  able,  even  affecting  to  join 
in  the  sports  and  exercises  of  the  soldiers  of  his  guard.  At 
length,  leaving  his  favorite  island,  the  scene  of  the  most  dis- 
gusting debaucheries,  he  stopped  at  a  country  house  near  the 
promontory  of  Micenum,  where,  on  the  sixteenth  of  March, 
37,  he  sunk  into  a  lethargy,  in  which  he  appeared  dead  ;  and 
Caligula  was  preparing  with  a  numerous  escort  to  take  pos- 
session of  the  empire,  when  his  sudden  revival  threw  them 
into  consternation.  At  this  critical  instant,  Macro,  the  pre- 
torian  prefect,  caused  him  to  be  suffocated  with  pillows. 
Thus  expired  the  emperor  Tiberius,  in  the  seventy-eighth 
year  of  his  age,  and  twenty-third  of  his  reign,  universally 
execrated." 

"The  prince  of  the  covenant"  unquestionably 
refers  to  Jesus  Christ,  the  "Messiah  the  Prince," 
who  was  to  "  confirm  the  covenant "  one  week  with 
his  people.  Dan.  9  : 25-27.  The  prophet,  having 
taken  us  down  to  the  death  of  Tiberius,  now  men- 
tions incidentally  an  event  to  transpire  in  his  reign, 
so  important  that  it  should  not  be  passed  over; 
namely,  the  cutting  off  of  the  prince  of  the  cove- 
nant, or,  in  other  words,  the  death  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  According  to  the  prophecy  this  took  place 
in  the  reign  of  Tiberius.  Luke  informs  us  (3  : 1-3) 
that  in  the  fifteenth  year  of  the  reign  of  Tiberius 
Caesar,  John  the  Baptist  commenced  his  ministry. 
The  reign  of  Tiberius  is  to  be  reckoned,  according 
to  Prideaux,  Dr.  Hales,  Lardner,  and  others,  from 
his  elevation  to  the  throne  to  reign  jointly  with 
Augustus,  his  father-in-law,  in  August,  A.  D.  12. 
His  fifteenth  year  would  therefore  be  from  August, 
A.  D.  26,  to  August,  A  D.  27.  Christ  was  six  months 


CHAPTER  XI,    VERSE  23.  325 

younger  than  John,  and  is  supposed  to  have  com- 
menced his  ministry  six  months  later,  both,  accord- 
ing to  the  law  of  the  priesthood,  entering  upon 
their  work  when  they  were  thirty  years  of  age. 
If  John  commenced  in  the  spring,  in  the  latter  por- 
tion of  Tiberius'  15th  year,  it  would  bring  the 
commencement  of  Christ's  ministry  in  the  autumn 
of  A.  D.  27 ;  and  here  the  best  of  authorities  place 
the  baptism  of  Christ,  it  being  the  exact  point 
where  the  483  years  from  B.  c.  457,  which  were  to 
extend  to  the  Messiah  the .  Prince,  terminated ;  and 
Christ  went  forth  proclaiming  that  the  time  was 
fulfilled.  From  this  point,  we  go  forward  three 
years  and  a  half  to  find  the  date  of  the  crucifixion; 
for  Christ  attended  but  four  passovers,  and  was  cru- 
cified at  the  last  one.  Three  and  a  half  years  from 
the  autumn  of  A.  D.  27,  bring  us  to  the  spring  of 
A.  D.  31.  The  death  of  Tiberius  is  placed  but  six 
years  later,  in  A.  D.  37. 

VERSE  23.  And  after  the  league  made  with  him  he  shall 
work  deceitfully  ;  for  he  shall  come  up,  and  shall  become 
strong  with  a  small  people. 

The  "  him  "  with  whom  the  league  here  spoken 
of  is  made,  must  be  the  same  power  which  has 
been  the  subject  of  the  prophecy  from  the  14th  verse; 
and  that  this  is  the  Roman  power  is  shown  beyond 
controversy  in  the  fulfillment  of  the  prophecy  in 
three  individuals,  as  already  noticed,  who  succes- 
sively ruled  over  the  Roman  Empire,  namely,  Ju- 
lius, Augustus,  and  Tiberius  Caesar.  The  first,  on 
returning  to  the  fort  of  his  own  land  in  triumph, 


326  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

.-tumbled  and  fell  and  was  not  found.  Verse  19. 
The  second  was  a  raiser  of  taxes ;  and  he  reigned 
in  the  glory  of  the  kingdom,  and  died  neither  in  an- 
ger nor  in  battle,  but  peacefully  in  his  own  bed. 
Verse  20.  The  third  was  a  dissembler,  and  one  of 
the  vilest  of  characters.  He  entered  upon  the 
kingdom  peaceably,  but  ended  both  his  reign  and 
his  life  by  violence.  And  in  his  reign  the  prince  of 
the  covenant,  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  was  put  to  death 
upon  the  cross.  Verses  21,  22.  Christ  can  never 
be  broken  or  put  to  death  again ;  hence  in  no  other 
government,  and  at  no  other  time,  can  we  find  a  ful- 
fillment of  'these  events.  Some  attempt  to  apply 
these  verses  to  Antiochus,  and  make  one  of  the 
Jewish  high  priests  the  prince  of  the  covenant, 
though  they  are  never  called  such.  This  is  the 
same  kind  of  reasoning  which  endeavors  to  make 
the  reign  of  Antiochus  a  fulfillment  of  the  little 
horn  of  Dan.  8 ;  and  it  is  offered  for  the  same  pur- 
pose, namely,  to  break  the  great  chain  of  evidence 
by  which  it  is  shown  that  the  Advent  doctrine  is 
the  doctrine  of  the  Bible,  and  that  Christ  is  now 
at  the  door.  But  the  chain  cannot  be  broken  nor 
the  evidence  be  overthrown. 

Having  taken  us  down  through  the  secular  events 
of  the  empire  to  the  end  of  the  seventy  weeks,  the 
prophet,  in  verse  23,  takes  us  back  to  the  time  when 
the  Romans  became  directly  connected  with  the 
people  of  God,  by  the  Jewish  league,  B.  c.  161 ; 
from  which  point  we  are  then  taken  down  in  a  di- 
rect line  of  events  to  the  final  triumph  of  the  church, 


CHAPTER  XI,    VERSE  24.  327 

and  the  setting  up  of  God's  everlasting  kingdom. 
The  Jews  being  grievously  oppressed  by  the  Syrian 
kings,  sent  an  embassy  to  Rome,  to  solicit  the  aid 
of  the  Romans,  and  to  join  themselves  in  "  a  league 
of  amity  and  confederacy  with  them."  1.  Mac.  8 ; 
Prideaux,  ii,  166 ;  Joseph  us'  Antiq.,  book  xii,  chap, 
x,  sec.  6.  The  Romans  listened  to  the  request  of 
the  Jews,  and  granted  them  a  decree  couched  in 
these  words : — 

1  'The  decree  of  the  senate  concerning  a  league  of  assist- 
ance and  friendship  with  the  nation  of  the  Jews.  It  shall 
not  be  lawful  for  any  that  are  subject  to  the  Romans,  to 
make  war  with  the  nation  of  the  Jews,  nor  to  assist  those 
that  do  so,  either  by  sending  them  corn,  or  ships,  or  money  ; 
and  if  any  attack  be  made  upon  the  Jews,  the  Romans  shall 
assist  them  as  far  they  are  able ;  and  again,  if  any  attack  be 
made  upon  the  Romans,  the  Jews  shall  assist  them.  And  if 
the  Jews  have  a  mind  to  add  to,  or  to  take  from,  this  league 
of  assistance,  that  shall  be  done  with  the  common  consent  of 
the  Romans.  And  whatever  addition  shall  thus  be  made,  it 
shall  be  of  force."  "This  decree,"  says  Joscphus,  "was 
written  by  Eupolemus,  the  son  of  John,  and  by  Jason,  the 
son  of  Eleazer,  when  Judas  was  high  priest  of  the  nation, 
and  Simon,  his  brother,  was  general  of  the  army.  And  this 
was  the  first  league  that  the  Romans  made  with  the  Jews, 
and  was  managed  after  this  manner. " 

At  this  time,  the  Romans  were  a  small  people, 
and  began  to  work  deceitfully,  or  with  cunning,  as 
the  word  signifies.  And  from  this  point  they  rose 
by  a  steady  and  rapid  ascent  to  the  height  of  power 
which  they  afterward  attained. 

VERSE  24.  He  shall  enter  peaceably  even  upon  the  fattest 
places  of  the  province  ;  and  he  shall  do  that  which  his  fa- 


328  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

thers  have  not  done,  nor  his  fathers'  fathers  ;  he  shall  scat- 
ter among  them  the  prey,  and  spoil,  and  riches  ;  yea,  and  he 
shall  forecast  his  devices  against  the  strongholds,  even  for  a 
time. 

The  usual  manner  in  which  nations  had,  before 
the  days  of  Rome,  entered  upon  valuable  provinces 
and  rich  territory,  was  by  war  and  conquest. 
Rome  was  now  to  do  what  had  not  been  done  by 
the  fathers,  or  the  fathers'  fathers,  namely,  receive 
these  acquisitions  through  peaceful  means.  The 
custom,  before  unheard  of,  was  now  inaugurated, 
of  kings'  leaving  by  legacy  their  kingdoms  to  the 
Romans.  Rome  came  into  possession  of  a  large 
portion  of  its  provinces  in  this  manner. 

And  those  who  thus  came  under  the  dominion 
of  Rome  derived  no  small  advantage  therefrom. 
They  were  treated  with  kindness  and  leniency. 
It  was  like. having  the  prey  and  spoil  distributed 
among  them.  They  were  protected  from  their 
enemies,  and  rested  in  peace  and  safety  under  the 
aegis  of  the  Roman  power. 

To  the  latter  portion  of  this  verse,  Bishop  New- 
ton gives  the  idea  of  forecasting  de  vices  from  strong- 
holds, instead  of  against  them.  This  the  Romans 
did  frv>m  the  strong  fortress  of  their  seven-hilled 
city.  "Even  for  a  time,"  doubtless  a  prophetic  time, 
360  years.  From  what  point  are  these  years  to  be 
dated  ?  Probably  from  the  event  brought  to  view 
in  the  following  verse. 

VERSE  25.  And  he  shall  stir  up  his  power  and  his  courage 
against  the  king  of  the  south  with  a  great  army ;  and  the 


CHATTER  XI,    VElttSE  25.  329 

king  of  the  south  shall  be  stirred  up  to  battle  with  a  very 
great  and  mighty  army  ;  but  he  shall  not  stand ;  for  they 
shall  forecast  devices  against  him. 

By  verses  23  and  24,  we  are  brought  down  this 
side  of  the  league  between  the  Jews  and  the  Ro- 
mans, B.  c.  161,  to  the  time  when  Rome  had  ac- 
quired universal  dominion.  The  verse  now  before 
us  brings  to  view  a  vigorous  campaign  against  the 
king  of  the  south,  Egypt,  and  the  occurrence  of  a 
notable  battle  between  great  and  mighty  armies. 
Did  such  events  as  these  transpire  in  the  history  of 
Rome  about  this  time  ?  They  did.  The  war  was 
the  war  between  Egypt  and  Rome ;  and  the  battle 
was  the  battle  of  Actium.  Let  us  take  a  brief 
glance  at  the  circumstances  that  led  to  this  conflict. 

Mark  Antony,  Augustus  Caesar,  and  Lepidus, 
constituted  the  Triumvirate  which  had  sworn  to 
avenge  the  death  of  Julius  Caesar.  This  Antony 
became  the  brother-in-law  of  Augustus,  by  marry- 
ing his  sister  0  eta  via.  Antony  was  sent  into 
Egypt  on  government  business,  but  fell  a  victim 
to  the  arts  and  charms  of  Cleopatra,  Egypt's  dis- 
solute queen.  So  strong  was  the  passion  he  con- 
ceived for  her,  that  he  finally  espoused  the  Egyp- 
tian interests,  rejected  his  wife  Octavia  to  please 
Cleopatra,  bestowed  province  after  province  upon 
the  latter  to  gratify  her  avarice,  celebrated  a  tri- 
umph at  Alexandria  instead  of  Rome,  and  other- 
wise so  affronted  the  Roman  people,  that  Augus- 
tus had  no  difficulty  in  leading  them  to  engage 
heartily  in  a  war  against  this  enemy  of  their 


330  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

country.  The  war  was  ostensibly  against  Egypt 
and  Cleopatra;  but  it  was  really  against  Antony, 
who  now  stood  at  the  head  of  Egyptian  affairs. 
And  the  true  cause  of  their  controversy  was,  says 
Prideaux,  that  neither  of  them  could  be  content 
with  only  half  of  the  Roman  Empire  ;  for  Lepidus 
having  been  deposed  from  the  Triumvirate,  it  now 
lay  between  them,  and  each  being  determined  to 
possess  the  whole,  they  cast  the  die  of  war  for  its 
possession. 

Antony  assembled  his  fleet  at  Samos.  Five  hun- 
dred ships  of  war,  of  extraordinary  size  and  struct- 
ure, having  several  decks  one  above  another,  with 
towers  upon  the  head  and  stern,  made  an  impos- 
ing and  formidable  array.  These  ships  carried  two 
hundred  thousand  foot,  and  twelve  thousand  horse. 
The  kings  of  Libya,  Cilicia,  Cappadocia,  Paphla- 
gonia,  Comagenia,  and  Thrace,  were  there  in  per- 
son ;  and  those  of  Pontus,  Judea,  Lycaonia,  Galatia 
and  Media,  had  sent  their  troops.  A  more  splendid 
and  gorgeous  military  spectacle  than  this  fleet  of 
battle  ships,  as  they  spread  their  sails,  and  moved 
out  upon  the  bosom  of  the  sea,  the  world  has  rarely 
seen.  Surpassing  all  in  magnificence,  came  the 
galley  of  Cleopatra,  floating  like  a  palace  of  gold 
beneath  a  cloud  of  purple  sails.  Its  flags  and 
streamers  fluttered  in  the  wind,  and  trumpets  and 
other  instruments  of  war,  made  the  heavens  re- 
sound with  notes  of  joy  and  triumph.  Antony  fol- 
lowed close  after  in  a  galley  of  almost  equal  mag- 
nificence. And  the  giddy  queen,  intoxicated  with 


CHAPTER  XI,    VflUSE  25.  331 

the  sight  of  the  warlike  array,  short-sighted  and 
vainglorious,  at  the  head  of  her  infamous  troop  of 
eunuchs,  foolishly  threatened  the  Roman  capital 
with  approaching  ruin. 

Csesar  Augustus,  on  the  other  hand,  displayed 
less  pomp  but  more  utility.  He  had  but  half  as 
many  ships  as  Antony,  and  only  eighty  thousand 
foot.  But  all  his  troops  were  chosen  men,  and  on 
board  his  fleet  were  none  but  experienced  seamen ; 
whereas  Antony,  not  finding  mariners  sufficient,  had 
been  obliged  to  man  his  vessels  with  artisans  of 
every  class,  men  inexperienced,  and  more  calcu- 
lated to  cause  trouble,  than  to  do  real  service  in 
time  of  battle.  The  season  being  far  consumed  in 
these  preparations,  Caesar  made  his  rendezvous  at 
Brondusium,  and  Antony  at  Corcyra,  till  the  fol- 
lowing year. 

As  soon  as  the  season  permitted,  both  armies 
were  put  in  motion  on  both  sea  and  land.  The  fleets 
at  length  entered  the  Ambracian  Gulf  in  Epirus, 
and  the  land  forces  were  drawn  up  on  either  shore 
in  plain  view.  Antony's  most  experienced  generals 
advised  him  not  to  hazard  a  battle  by  sea,  with  his 
inexperienced  mariners,  but  to  send  Cleopatra  back 
to  Egypt,  and  hasten  at  once  into  Thrace  or  Mace- 
donia, and  trust  the  issue  to  his  land  forces,  who 
were  composed  of  veteran  troops.  But  he,  illustrat- 
ing the  old  adage,  Quern  Deus  vult  perdere  prius 
dementat  (whom  God  wishes  to  destroy,  he  first 
makes  mad),  infatuated  by  Cleopatra,  seemed  only 
desirous  of  pleasing  her;  and  she,  trusting  to  ap- 


332  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

pearances  only,  deemed  her  fleet  invincible,  and  ad- 
vised immediate  action. 

The  battle  was  fought,  September  2,  B.  c.  31,  at 
the  mouth  of  the  gulf  of  Ambracia,  near  the  city  of 
Actium.  The  stake  was  the  world  for*which  these 
stern  warriors,  Antony  and  Caesar,  now  played. 
The  contest,  long  doubtful,  was  at  length  decided 
by  the  course  which  Cleopatra  pursued.  For  she, 
frightened  at  the  din  of  battle,  took  to  flight  when 
there  was  no  danger,  and  drew  after  her  the  whole 
Egyptian  fleet.  Antony,  beholding  this  movement, 
and  lost  to  everything  but  his  blind  passion  for 
her,  precipitately  followed,  and  yielded  a  victory 
to  Caesar,  which,  had  his  Egyptian  forces  proved 
true  to  him,  and  had  he  proved  true  to  his  own 
manhood,  he  might  have  gained. 

This  battle  doubtless  marks  the  commencement 
of  the  "  time  "  mentioned  in  verse  24.  And  as  dur- 
ing this  "time"  devices  were  to  be  forecast  from 

o 

the  stronghold,  or  Rome,  we  should  conclude  that 
at  the  end  of  that  period,  western  supremacy 
would  cease,  or  such  a  change  take  place  in  the 
empire,  that  that  city  would  no  longer  be  consid- 
ered the  seat  of  government.  From  B.  c.  31,  a 
prophetic  time,  or  360  years,  would  bring  us  to  A. 
D.  330.  And  it  hence  becomes  a  noteworthy  fact 
that  the  seat  of  empire  was  removed  from  Rome 
to  Constantinople,  by  Constantine  the  Great  in 
that  very  year.  See  Encyclopedia  Americana, 
art.,  Constantinople. 

VEK.SE  26.     Yea,  they  that  feed  of  the  portion  of  his  meat 


— 

I 

CHAPTER  XI,  VERSES  26,  27.  333 



shall  destroy  him,  and  his  army  shall  overflow ;  and  many 
shall  fall  down  slain. 

The  cause  of  Antony's  overthrow  was  the  de- 
sertion of  his  allies  and  friends,  those  that  fed  of 
the  portion  of  his  meat.  First,  Cleopatra,  as  al- 
ready described,  suddenly  withdrew  from  the  bat- 
tle, taking  sixty  ships  of  the  line  with  her.  Sec- 
ondly, the  land  army,  disgusted  with  the  infatua- 
tion of  Antony,  went  over  to  Caesar,  who  received 
them  with  open  arms.  Thirdly,  when  Antony  ar- 
rived at  Libya  he  found  that  the  forces  which  he 
had  there  left  under  Scorpus  to  guard  the  frontier, 
had  declared  for  Caesar.  Fourthly,  being  followed 
by  Ccesar  into  Egypt,  he  was  betrayed  by  Cleopa- 
tra, and  his  forces  surrended  to  Caesar.  Hereupon 
in  rage  and  despair  he  took  his  own  life. 

VERSE  27.  And  both  these  kings'  hearts  shall  be  to  do 
mischief,  and  they  shall  speak  lies  at  one  table  ;  but  it  shall 
not  prosper  :  for  yet  the  end  shall  be  at  the  time  appointed. 

Antony  and  Caesar  were  formerly  in  alliance. 
Yet  under  the  garb  of  friendship,  they  were  both 
aspiring  and  intriguing  for  universal  dominion. 
Their  protestations  of  deference  to,  and  friendship 
for,  each  other;  were  the  utterances  of  hypocrites. 
They  spoke  lies  at  one  table.  Octavia,  the  wife  of 
Antony  and  sister  of  Caesar,  declared  to  the  people 
of  Rome  at  the  time  Antony  divorced  her,  that 
she  had  consented  to  marry  him  solely  with  the 
hope  that  it  would  prove  a  pledge  of  union  be- 
tween Caesar  and  Antony.  But  that  counsel  did 
not  prosper.  The  rupture  came;  and  in  the  con- 


334  THOUGHT  IS  ON  DANIEL. 

flict  that  ensued,  Caesar  came  off'  entirely  victorious. 

VERSE  28.  Then  shall  he  return  into  his  land  with  great 
riches  ;  and  his  heart  shall  be  against  the  holy  covenant ; 
and  he  shall  do  exploits,  and  return  to  his  own  land. 

Two  returnings  from  foreign  conquests  are  here 
brought  to  view ;  the  first,  after  the  events  nar- 
rated in  verses  26  and  27,  and  the  second,  af- 
ter this  power  had  had  indignation  against  the 
holy  covenant,  and  had  performed  exploits.  The 
first  was  fulfilled  in  the  return  of  Caesar,  after 
his  expedition  against  Egypt  and  Antony.  He  re- 
turned to  Rome  with  abundant  honor  and  riches ; 
for,  says  Prideaux  (ii,  380),  "  At  this  time  such  vast 
riches  were  brought  to  Rome  from  Egypt  on  the 
reducing  of  that  country,  and  the  return  of  Octavi- 
anus  [Caesar]  and  his  army  from  thence,  that  the 
vaiue  of  money  fell  one-half,  and  the  price  of  provis- 
ions and  all  vendible  wares  was  doubled  thereon." 
Caesar  celebrated  his  victories  in  a  three-days'  tri- 
umph, a  triumph  which  Cleopatra  herself  would 
have  graced,  as  one  of  the  royal  captives,  had  she 
not  artfully  caused  herself  to  be  bitten  by  the  fatal 
asp. 

The  next  great  enterprise  of  the  Romans  after 
the  overthrow  of  Egypt,  was  the  expedition  against 
Judea,  and  the  capture  and  destruction  of  Jerusa- 
lem. The  holy  covenant  is  doubtless  the  covenant 
which  .God  has  maintained  with  his  people,  begin- 
ning it  with  Abraham,  and  renewing  it,  since 
Christ,  with  all  believers  in  him.  The  Jews  re- 
jected Christ  ;  and,  according  to  the  prophecy  that 


CHAPTER  XI,  VERSK  2S.  335 

all  who  would  not  hear  that  prophet  should  be  cut 
off,  they  were  destroyed  out  of  their  own  land,  and 
scattered  to  every  nation  under  heaven.  And  while 
Jews  and  Christians  alike  suffered  under  the  op- 
pressive hands  of  the  Romans,  we  think  it  was  in 
the  reduction  of  Judea  especially  that  the  exploits 
mentioned  in  the  text  were  exhibited. 

Under  Vespasian,  the  Romans  invaded  Judea  and 
took  the  cities  of  Galilee,  Chorazin,  Bethsaida,  and 
Capernaum,  where  Christ  had  been  rejected.  They 
destroyed  the  inhabitants,  and  left  nothing  but  ruin 
and  desolation.  Titus  besieged  Jerusalem.  He 
drew  a  trench  around  it,  according  to  the  prediction 
of  the  Saviour.  A  terrible  famine  ensued,  the 
equal  of  which  the  world  has,  perhaps,  at  no  other 
time  witnessed.  Moses  had  predicted  that  in  the 
terrible  calamities  to  come  upon  the  Jews  if  they 
departed  from  God,  even  the  tender  and  delicate 
woman  should  eat  her  own  children  in  £he  straitness 
of  the  siege  wherewith  their  enemies  should  distress 
them.  Under  the  siege  of  Jerusalem  by  Titus,  a 
literal  fulfillment  of  this  prediction  occurred ;  and 
he,  hearing  of  the  inhuman  deed,  but  forgetting  that 
he  was  the  one  who  was  driving  them  to  such  dire- 
ful extremities,  swore  the  eternal  extirpation  of  the 
accursed  city  and  people. 

Jerusalem  fell  in  A.  D.  70.  As  an  honor  to  him- 
self, the  Roman  commander  had  determined  to  save 
the  temple ;  but  the  Lord  had  said  that  there  should 
not  remain  one  stone  upon  another  which  should 
not  be  thrown  down.  A  Roman  soldier  seized  a 


336  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

brand  of  fire,  and,  climbing  upon  the  shoulders  of 
his  comrades,  thrust  it  into  one  of  the  windows  of 
the  beautiful  structure.  It  was  soon  in  the  arms  of 
the  devouring  element.  The  frantic  efforts  of  the 
Jews  to  extinguish  the  flames  were  seconded  by 
Titus  himself,  but  all  in  vain.  Seeing  that  the 
temple  must  perish,  Titus  rushed  in  and  bore  away 
the  golden  candlestick,  the  table  of  show-bread,  and 
the  volume  of  the  law,  wrapped  in  golden  tissue. 
The  candle-stick  was  afterward  deposited  in  Vespa- 
sian's Temple  to  Peace,  and  copied  on  the  triumphal 
arch  of  Titus,  where  its  mutilated  image  is  yet  to  be 
seen. 

The  siege  of  Jerusalem  lasted  five  months.  In 
that  siege  eleven  hundred  thousand  Jews  perished, 
and  ninety-seven  thousand  were  taken  prisoners, 
the  city  was  so  amazingly  strong  that  Titus  ex- 
claimed when  viewing  the  ruins,  "  We  have  fought 
with  the  assistance  of  God."  The  city  was  com- 
pletely leveled,  and  the  foundations  of  the  temple 
were  ploughed  up  by  Tarentius  Rufus.  The  dura- 
tion of  the  whole  war  was  seven  years,  and  one 
million  four  hundred  and  sixty-two  thousand  per- 
sons are  said  to  have  fallen  victims  to  its  fatal  hor- 
rors. 

Thus  this  power  performed  great  exploits,  and 
again  returned  to  his  own  land. 

VERSE  29.  At  the  time  appointed  he  shall  return,  and 
come  toward  the  south  ;  but  it  shall  not  be  as  the  former,  or 
as  the  latter. 

The  time   appointed   is   probably  the  prophetic 


CHAPTER  XI,   VERSES  29,  30.  337 

time  of  verse  24,  of  which  we  have  previously 
spoken.  It  closed,  as  already  shown,  in  A.  D.  330, 
at  which  time  this  power  was  to  return  and  come 
again  toward  the  south,  but  not  as  on  the  former 
occasion,  when  it  went  to  Egypt,  nor  as  the  latter, 
when  it  went  to  Judea.  Those  were  expeditions 
which  resulted  in  conquest  and  glory.  This  led  to 
demoralization  and  ruin.  The  removal  of  the  seat 
of  empire  to  Constantinople  was  the  signal  of  the 
downfall  of  the  empire.  Rome  then  lost  its  pres- 
tige. The  western  division  was  exposed  to  the  in- 
cursions of  foreign  enemies.  On  the  death  of  Con- 
stantine,  the  Roman  Empire  was  divided  into  three 
parts,  between  his  three  sons,  Constantius,  Constan- 
tine  II.,  and  Constans.  Constantine  II.  and  Con- 
stans  quarreled,  and  Constans  being  victor,  gained 
the  supremacy  of  the  whole  West.  He  was  soon 
slain  by  one  of  his  commanders,  who,  in  turn,  was 
shortly  after  defeated  by  the  surviving  emperor,  and 
in  despair  ended  his  own  days,  A.  D.  353.  The  bar- 
barians of  the  north  soon  began  their  depredations, 
and  extended  their  conquests  till  the  imperial  power 
of  the  West  expired  in  A.  D.  476. 

This  was  indeed  different  from  the  two  former 
movements  brought  to  view  in  the  prophecy ;  and 
to  this  the  fatal  step  of  removing  the  seat  of  em- 
pire from  Rome  to  Constantinople,  directly  led. 

VERSE  30.  For  the  ships  of  Chittim  shall  come  against 
him  ;  therefore  he  shall  be  grieved,  and  return,  and  have  in- 
dignation against  the  holy  covenant ;  so  shall  he  do  ;  he  shall 
even  return,  and  have  intelligence  with  them  that  forsake 
the  holy  covenant.  22 


338  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

The  prophetic  narrative  still  has  reference  to  the 
power  which  has  been  the  subject  of  the  prophecy 
from  the  sixteenth  verse,  namely,  Rome.  What 
were  the  ships  of  Chittim  that  came  against  this 
power,  and  when  was  this  movement  made  ?  What 
country  or  power  is  meant  by  Chittim  ?  Dr.  A. 
Clarke,  on  Isa.  23  : 1,  has  this  note  :  "  From  the  land 
of  Chittim  it  is  revealed  to  them.  The  news  of  the 
destruction  of  Tyre,  by  Nebuchadnezzar,  is  said  to 
be  brought  to  them  from  Chittim,  the  islands  and 
coasts  of  the  Mediterranean ;  for  the  Tyrians,  says 
Jerome,  on  verse  six,  when  they  saw  they  had  no 
other  means  of  escape,  fled  in  their  ships,  and  took 
refuge  in  Carthage,  and  in  the  islands  of  the  Ionian 
and  JSgean  Seas.  So  also  Jochri  on  the  same  place." 
Kitto  gives  the  same  locality  to  Chittim,  namely, 
the  coast  and  islands  of  the  Mediterranean;  and 
the  mind  is  carried  by  the  testimony  of  Jerome  to 
a  definite  and  celebrated  city  as  situated  in  that  land, 
namely,  Carthage. 

Was  ever  a  naval  warfare,  with  Carthage  as  a 
base  of  operations,  waged  against  the  Roman  Em- 
pire ?  Those  who  have  read  of  the  terrible  on- 
slaught of  the  Vandals  upon  Rome  under  the  fierce 
Genseric,  can  readily  answer  in  the  affirmative. 
Sallying  every  spring  from  the  port  of  Carthage,  at 
the  head  of  his  numerous  and  well-disciplined  na- 
val forces,  he  spread  consternation  through  all  the 
maritime  provinces  of  the  empire.  That  this  is 
the  work  brought  to  view  is  further  evident  when 
we  consider  that  we  are  brought  down  in  the 


CHAPTER  XI,    VERSE  SO.  339 

prophecy  to  this  very  time.  In  verse  29,  the 
transfer  of  empire  to  Constantinople  we  understand 
to  be  mentioned.  Following  in  due  course  of  time 
as  the  next  remarkable  revolution,  came  the  erup- 
tions of  the  barbarians  of  the  North,  prominent 
among  which  was  the  Vandal  war  already  mentioned. 
The  years  A.  D.  428-468  mark  the  career  of  Gen- 
seric. 

"He  shall  be  grieved  and  return."  This  may 
have  reference  to  the  desperate  efforts  which  were 
made  to  dispossess  Genseric  of  the  sovereignty  of 
the  seas,  the  first,  by  Marjorian,  the  second,  by 
Leo,  both  of  which  proved  to  be  utter  failures ;  and 
Rome  was  obliged  to  submit  to  the  humiliation  of 
seeing  its  provinces  ravaged,  and  its  "  eternal  city  " 
pillaged  by  the  enemy. 

"Indignation  against  the  covenant;"  that  is, 
the  Holy  Scriptures,  the  book  of  the  covenant.  A 
revolution  of  this  nature  was  accomplished  in  Rome. 
The  Goths,  Huns,  and  Vandals,  who  conquered  Rome, 
embraced  the  Arian  faith,  and  became  enemies  of 
the  Catholic  church.  It  was  especially  for  the  pur- 
pose of  exterminating  this  heresy  that  Justinian 
decreed  the  pope  to  be  the  head  of  the  church,  and 
the  corrector  of  heretics.  Then  it  was  decreed  that 
the  Bible  was  a  dangerous  book,  and  should  not  be 
read  by  the  common  people,  but  all  questions  in  dis- 
pute should  be  submitted  to  the  pope.  Thus  was 
indignity  heaped  upon  God's  word.  And  the  em- 
perors of  Rome,  the  eastern  division  of  which  still 
continued,  had  intelligence  or  connived  with  the 


340  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

church  of  Rome  which  had  forsaken  the  covenant, 
and  constituted  the  great  apostasy,  for  the  purpose 
of  putting  down  heresy.  The  man  of  sin  was  raised 
to  his  ungodly  throne  by  the  defeat  of  the  Arian 
Goths,  who  then  held  possession  of  Rome,  in  A.  D. 
538. 

VERSE  31.  And  arms  shall  stand  on  his  part,  and  they 
shall  pollute  the  sanctuary  of  strength,  and  shall  take  away 
the  daily  sacrifice,  and  they  shall  place  the  abomination  that 
maketh  desolate. 

The  power  of  the  empire  was  committed  to  the 
carrying  on  of  the  work  before  mentioned.  And 
they  shall  pollute  the  sanctuary  of  strength,  or 
Rome.  If  this  applies  to  the  barbarians,  it  was  lit- 
erally fulfilled ;  for  Rome  was  sacked  by  the  Goths, 
Huns,  and  Vandals,  and  the  imperial  power  of  the 
West  ceased  through  the  conquest  of  Rome  by  Odo- 
acer.  Or  if  it  refers  to  those  rulers  of  the  empire 
who  were  working  in  behalf  of  the  papacy  against 
the  pagan  and  all  other  opposing  religions,  it  would 
signify  the  removal  of  the  seat  of  the  empire  from 
Rome  to  Constantinople;  which  contributed  more 
than  anything  else  to  the  downfall  of  Rome.  The 
passage  would  then  be  parallel  to  Dan.  8:11,  and 
Rev.  13  : 2. 

"  And  they  shall  take  away  the  daily  sacrifice." 
It  was  shown  on  Dan.  8:13,  that  "  sacrifice "  is  a 
word  erroneously  supplied;  that  it  should  be  deso- 
lation ;  and  that  the  expression  denotes  a  desolating 
power  of  which  the  abomination  of  desolation  is 
but  the  counterpart,  and  to  which  it  succeeds  in  point 


CHAPTER  XI,  VERSE  31.  341 

of  time.  The  daily  desolation  was  paganism,  the 
abomination  of  desolation  is  the  papacy.  But  it 
may  be  asked  how  this  can  be  the  papacy,  since 
Christ  spoke  of  it  in  connection  with  the  destruc- 
tion of  Jerusalem.  And  the  answer  is,  Christ  evi- 
dently referred  to  the  ninth  of  Daniel,  which  is  a 
prediction  of  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  and  not 
to  this  verse  of  the  eleventh,  which  does  not  refer 
to  that  event.  Daniel,  in  the  9th  chapter,  speaks 
of  desolations,  and  abominations,  plural.  More 
than  one  abomination,  therefore,  treads  down  the 
church ;  that  is,  so  far  as  the  church  is  concerned, 
both  paganism  and  the  papacy  are  abominations. 
But  as  distinguished  from  each  other,  the  language 
is  restricted,  and  one  is  the  daily  desolation  and  the 
other  is  pre-eminently  the  transgression  or  abomina- 
tion of  desolation. 

How  was  the  daily,  or  paganism,  taken  away  ? 
As  this  is  spoken  of  in  connection  with  the  placing 
or  setting  up  of  the  abomination  of  desolation,  or 
the  papacy,  it  must  denote,  not  merely  the  nominal 
change  of  the  religion  of  the  empire  from  paganism 
to  Christianity,  as  on  the  conversion,  so-called,  of 
Constantine,  but  such  an  eradication  of  paganism 
from  all  the  elements  of  the  empire,  that  the  way 
would  be  all  open  for  the  papal  abomination  to  arise 
and  assert  its  arrogant  claims.  Such  a  revolution 
as  this,  plainly  defined,  was  accomplished ;  but  not 
for  nearly  two  hundred  years  after  the  death  of 
Constantine. 

As  we  approach  the  year  A.  D.  508,  we  behold  a 


342  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

grand  crisis  ripening  between  Catholicism  and  the 
pagan  influences  still  existing  in  the  empire.  Up 
to  the  time  of  the  conversion  of  Clovis,  king  of 
France,  A.  D.  496,  the  French  and  other  nations  of 
Western  Rome  were  pagan ;  but  subsequently  to  that 
event,  the  efforts  to  convert  idolaters  to  Christ  were 
crowned  with  great  success.  The  conversion  of 
Clovis  is  said  to  have  been  the  occasion  of  bestow- 
ing upon  the  French  monarch  the  titles  of  "  Most 
Christian  Majesty,"  and  "  Eldest  Son  of  the  Church." 
Between  that  time  and  A.  D.  508,  by  alliances,  ca- 
pitulations, and  conquests,  the  Arborici,  the  Roman 
garrisons  in  the  West,  Brittany,  the  Burgundians, 
and  the  Visigoths,  were  brought  into  subjection. 

From  the  time  when  these  successes  were  fully 
accomplished,  namely,  508,  the  papacy  was  trium- 
phant so  far  as  paganism  was  concerned ;  for  though 
the  latter  doubtless  retarded  the  progress  of  the 
Catholic  faith,  yet  it  had  not  the  power,  if  it  had 
the  disposition,  to  suppress  that  faith,  and  hinder 
the  encroachments  of  the  Roman  pontiff.  When 
the  prominent  powers  of  Europe  gave  up  their  at- 
tachment to  paganism,  it  was  only  to  perpetuate  its 
abominations  in  another  form ;  for  Christianity,  as 
exhibited  in  the  Catholic  church,  was,  and  is,  only 
paganism  baptized. 

In  England,  Arthur,  the  first  Christian  king, 
founded  the  Christian  worship  on  the  ruin  of  the 
pagan.  Rapin,  who  claims  to  be  exact  in  the  chro- 
nology of  events,  states  that  he  was  elected  monarch 
of  Britain  in  508.  Book  ii,  p.  124. 


CHAFTEti  XI,  VERSE  SI.  343 

The  condition  of  the  see  of  Rome  was  also  pecul- 
iar at  this  time.  In  498,  Symmachus  ascended 
the  pontifical  throne  as  a  recent  convert  from  pa- 
ganism. He  reigned  to  A.  D.  514.  He  found  his 
way  to  the  papal  chair,  says  Du  Pin,  by  striving 
with  his  competitor  even  unto  blood.  He  received 
adulation  as  the  successor  of  St.  Peter,  and  struck 
the  key  note  of  papal  assumption,  by  presuming  to 
excommunicate  the  emperor  Anastasius.  The  most 
servile  flatterers  of  the  pope  now  began  to  main- 
tain that  he  was  constituted  judge  in  the  place  of 
God,  and  that  he  was  the  vicegerent  of  the  Most 
High. 

Such  was  the  direction  in  which  events  were 
tending  in  the  West.  What  posture  did  affairs  at 
the  same  time  assume  in  the  East  ?  A  strong  pa- 
pal party  now  existed  in  all  parts  of  the  empire. 
The  adherents  of  this  cause  in  Constantinople,  en- 
couraged by  the  success  of  their  brethren  in  the 
West,  deemed  it  safe  to  commence  open  hostilities 
in  behalf  of  their  master  at  Rome.  In  508,  their 
partisan  zeal  culminated  in  a  whirlwind  of  fanati- 
cism and  civil  war,  which  swept  in  fire  and  blood 
through  the  streets  of  the  eastern  capital.  Gibbon, 
under  the  years  508-514,  speaking  of  the  commo- 
tions in  Constantinople,  says : — 

"The  statues  of  the  emperor  were  broken,  and  his  per- 
son was  concealed  in  a  suburb,  till,  at  the  end  of  three  days, 
he  dared  to  implore  the  mercy  of  his  subjects.  Without  his 
diadem,  and  in  the  posture  of  a  suppliant,  Anastasius  ap- 
peared on  the  throne  of  the  circus.  The  Catholics  before 
his  face  rehearsed  the  genuine  Trisagion ;  they  exulted  in 


THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 


the  offer  which  he  proclaimed  by  the  voice  of  a  herald  of  ab- 
dicating the  purple  ;  they  listened  to  the  admonition  that. 
since  all  could  not  reign,  they  should  previously  agree  in  the 
choice  of  a  sovereign  ;  and  they  accepted  the  blood  of  two 
unpopular  ministers,  whom  their  master,  without  hesitation, 
condemned  to  the  lions.  These  furious  but  transient  sedi- 
tions were  encouraged  by  the  success  of  Vitalian,  who,  with 
his  army  of  Huns  and  Bulgarians,  for  the  most  part  idola- 
ters, declared  himself  the  champion  of  the  Catholic  faith. 
In  this  pious  rebellion  he  depopulated  Thrace,  besieged  Con- 
stantinople, exterminated  sixty-five  thousand  of  his  fellow- 
Christians,  till  he  obtained  the  recall  of  the  bishops,  the  satis- 
faction of  the  pope,  and  the  establishment  of  the  council  of 
Chalcedon,  an  orthodox  treaty,  relunctantly  signed  by  the 
dying  Anastasius,  and  more  faithfully  performed  by  the 
uncle  of  Justinian.  And  such  was  the  event  of  the  first  of 
the  religious  wars  which  have  been  waged  in  the  name,  aiid 
by  the  disciples,  of  the  God  of  Peace."  —  Decline  and  Fali, 
Vol.  iv,  p.  526. 

Let  it  be  marked  that  in  this  year,  508,  pagan- 
ism had  so  far  declined,  and  Catholicism  had  so  far 
relatively  increased  in  strength,  that  the  Catholic 
church  for  the  first  time  waged  a  successful  war 
against  both  the  civil  authority  of  the  empire  and 
the  church  of  the  East,  which  had  for  the  most 
part  embraced  the  Monophosite  doctrine.  The  ex- 
termination of  65,000  heretics  was  the  result. 

With  the  following  extract  from  the  Second  Advent  Man- 
ual, pp.  79-81,  we  close  the  testimony  on  this  point  :  "  We 
now  invite  our  modern  Gamaliels  to  take  a  position  with  us 
in  the  place  of  the  sanctuary  of  paganism  (since  claimed  as 
the  '  patrimony  of  St.  Peter  ')  in  508.  We  look  a  few  years 
into  the  past,  and  the  rude  paganism  of  the  northern  bar- 
barians is  pouring  down  upon  the  nominally  Christian  em- 


CHAPTER  XI,  VERSE  SI.  345 

pire  of  Western  Rome — triumphing  everywhere — and  its 
triumphs  everywhere  distinguished  by  the  most  savage  cru- 
elty. .  .  .  The  empire  falls,  and  is  broken  into  fragments. 
One  by  one  the  lords  and  rulers  of  these  fragments  abandon 
their  paganism  and  profess  the  Christian  faith.  In  religion, 
the  conquerors  are  yielding  to  the  conquered.  But  still 
paganism  is  triumphant.  Among  its  supporters  there  is  one 
stern  and  successful  conqueror.  (Clovis. )  But  soon  he  also 
bows  before  the  power  of  the  new  faith,  and  becomes  its 
champion.  He  is  still  triumphant,  but,  as  a  hero  and  con- 
queror, reaches  the  zenith  at  the  point  we  occupy,  A.  D.  508. 

"  In  or  near  the  same  year,  the  last  important  subdivision 
of  the  fallen  empire  is  publicly,  and  by  the  coronation  of  its 
triumphant  '  monarch,'  Christianized. 

"  The  pontiff  for  the  period  on  which  we  stand  is  a  re- 
cently-converted pagan.  The  bloody  contest  which  placed 
him  in  the  chair  was  decided  by  the  interposition  of  an 
Arian  king.  He  is  bowed  to  and  saluted  as  filling  'the 
place  of  God  on  earth.'  The  senate  is  so  far  under  his 
power,  that  on  suspicion  that  the  interests  of  the  see  of 
Home  demand  it,  they  excommunicate  the  emperor.  .  .  . 
In  508,  the  mine  is  sprung  beneath  the  throne  of  the  East- 
ern Empire.  The  result  of  the  confusion  and  strife  it  occa- 
sions is  the  humiliation  of  its  rightful  lord.  Now  the  ques- 
tion is,  At  what  time  was  paganism  so  far  suppressed  as  to 
make  room  for  its  substitute  and  successor,  the  papal  abomi- 
nation? When  was  this  abomination  placed  in  a  position  to 
start  on  its  career  of  blasphemy  and  blood?  Is  there  any 
other  date  for  its  being  'placed,'  or  f  set  up,1  in  the  room  of 
paganism,  but  508]  If  the  mysterious  enchantress  has  not 
now  brought  all  her  victims  within  her  power,  she  has  taken 
her  position,  and  some  have  yielded  to  the  fascination.  The 
others  are  at  length  subdued,  '  and  kings,  and  peoples,  and 
multitudes,  and  nations,  and  tongues,'  are  brought  under  the 
spell  which  prepares  them,  even  while  *  drunken  with  the 
blood  of  the  martyrs  of  Jesus,'  to  'think  they  are  doing 


346  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

God  service,'  and  to  fancy  themselves  the  exclusive  favor- 
ites of  Heaven,  while  becoming  an  easier  and  richer  prey 
for  the  damnation  of  helL  " 

From  these  evidences  we  think  it  clear  that  the 
daily,  or  paganism,  was  taken  away  in  A.  D.  508. 
This  was  preparatory  to  the  setting  up,  or  estab- 
lishment, of  the  papacy,  which  was  a  separate  and 
subsequent  event.  Of  this,  the  prophetic  narrative 
now  leads  us  to  speak. 

"  And  they  shall  place  the  abomination  that 
inaketh  desolate."  Having  shown  quite  fully 
what  constituted  the  taking  away  of  the  daily, 
or  paganism,  we  now  inquire,  When  was  the 
abomination  that  maketh  desolate,  or  the  papacy, 
placed,  or  set  up  ?  The  little  horn  that  had  eyes 
like  the  eyes  of  man  was  not  slow  to  see  when  the 
way  was  open  for  his  advancement  and  elevation. 
From  the  year  508,  its  progress  toward  universal 
supremacy  was  without  parallel. 

When  Justinian  was  about  to  commence  the 
Vandal  war,  A.  D.  533,  an  enterprise  of  no  small 
magnitude  and  difficulty,  he  wished  to  secure  the  in- 
fluence of  the  bishop  of  Rome,  who  had  then  at- 
tained a  position  in  which  his  opinion  had  great 
weight  throughout  a  large  portion  of  Christendom. 
Justinian  therefore  took  it  upon  himself  to  decide 
the  eontest  which  had  long  existed  between  the  sees 
of  Rome  and  Constantinople,  as  to  which  should 
have  the  precedency,  by  giving  the  preference  to 
Rome,  and  declaring,  in  the  fullest  and  most  un- 
equivocal terms,  that  the  bishop  of  that  city  should 


CHAPTER  XI,  VERSE  31.  347 

be  chief  of  the  whole  ecclesiastical  body  of  the  em- 
pire. A  work  on  the  Apocalypse,  by  Rev.  George 
Croly,  of  England,  published  in  1827,  gives  a  de- 
tailed account  of  the  events  by  which  the  supremacy 
of  the  pope  of  Rome  was  secured.  He  gives  the  fol- 
lowing as  the  terms  in  which  the  decree  of  Justinian 
was  expressed  : — 

"Justinian,  pious,  fortunate,  renowned,  triumphant,  em- 
peror, consul,  etc. ,  to  JoliH  the  most  holy  archbishop  of  our 
city  of  Rome,  patriarch. 

"  Rendering  honor  to  the  apostolic  chair  and  to  your  holi- 
ness, as  has  been  always,  and  is,  our  wish,  and  honoring 
your  blessedness  as  a  father  ;  we  have  hastened  to  bring  to 
the  knowledge  of  your  holiness  all  matters  relating  to  the 
state  of  the  churches  ;  it  having  been  at  all  times  our  great 
desire  to  preserve  the  unity  of  your  apostolic  chair,  and  the 
constitution  of  the  holy  churches  of  God  which  has  obtained 
hitherto,  and  still  obtains. 

"  Therefore  we  have  made  no  delay  in  subjecting  and  unit- 
ing to  your  holiness  all  the  priests  of  the  whole  East 

We  cannot  suffer  that  anything  which  relates  to  the  state  of 
the  church,  however  manifest  and  unquestionable,  should  be 
moved  without  the  knowledge  of  your  holiness,  who  is  THE 
HEAD  OF  ALL  THE  HOLY  CHURCHES  ;  for  in  all  things,  as 
we  have  already  declared,  we  are  anxious  to  increase  the 
honor  and  authority  of  your  apostolic  chair." — Croly,  pp. 
114,  115. 

"The  emperor's  letter,"  continues  Mr.  Croly, 
"  must  have  been  sent  before  the  25th  of  March,  533. 
For  in  his  letter  of  that  date  to  Epiphanius,  he 
speaks  of  its  having  been  already  dispatched,  and 
repeats  his  decision,  that  all  affairs  touching  the 
church  shall  be  referred  to  the  pope,  'head  of  all 


348  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

bishops  and  the  true  and  effective  corrector  of 
heretics.'  >: 

The  pope,  in  his  answer,  returned  the  same  month 
of  the  following  year,  534,  observes  that  among  the 
virtues  of  Justinian,  "  one  shines  as  a  star,  his  rever- 
ence for  the  apostolic  chair,  to  which  he  has  sub- 
jected and  united  all  the  churches,  it  being  truly  the 
head  of  all." 

The  "  Novelise  "  of  the  Justinian  code  give  unan- 
swerable proof  of  the  authenticity  of  the  title.  The 
preamble  of  the  9th  states  that  "  as  the  elder  Rome 
was  the  founder  of  the  laws,  so  was  it  not  to  be 
questioned  that  in  her  was  the  supremacy  of  the 
Pontificate."  The  131st,  on  the  ecclesiastical  titles 
and  privileges,  chapter  2,  states :  "  We  therefore  de- 
cree that  the  most  holy  pope  of  the  elder  Rome  is 
the  first  of  all  the  priesthood,  and  that  the  most 
blessed  archbishop  of  Constantinople,  the  new  Rome, 
shall  hold  the  second  rank  after  the  holy  apostolic 
chair  of  the  elder  Rome." 

Toward  the  close  of  the  sixth  century,  John  of 
Constantinople  denied  the  Roman  supremacy,  and 
assumed  for  himself  the  title  of  universal  bishop  ; 
whereupon,  Gregory  the  Great,  indignant  at  the 
usurpation,  denounced  John,  and  declared,  with  un- 
conscious truth,  that  he  who  would  assume  the  title 
of  universal  bishop  was  Antichrist.  Phocas,  in  606, 
suppressed  the  claim  of  the  bishop  of  Constantinople, 
and  vindicated  that  of  the  bishop  of  Rome.  But 
Phocas  was  not  the  founder  of  papal  supremacy. 
Says  Croly,  "  That  Phocas  repressed  the  claim  of  the 


CHAPTER  XI,   VERSE  81.  340 

bishop  of  Constantinople  is  beyond  a  doubt.  But 
the  highest  authorities  among  the  civilians  and  an- 
nalists of  Rome,  spurn  the  idea  that  Phocas  was  the 
founder  of  the  supremacy  of  Rome ;  they  ascend  to 
Justinian  as  the  only  legitimate  source,  and  rightly 
date  the  title  from  the  memorable  year  533."  Again 
he  says  :  "On  reference  to  Baronius,  the  established 
authority  among  the  Roman  Catholic  annalists,  I 
found  the  whole  detail  of  Justinian's  grants  of  su- 
premacy to  the  pope  formally  given.  The  entire 
transaction  was  of  the  most  authentic  and  regular 
kind,  and  suitable  to  the  importance  of  the  transfer." 
Such  were  the  circumstances  attending  the  decree 
of  Justinian.  But  the  provisions  of  this  decree  could 
not  at  once  be  carried  into  effect ;  for  Rome  and 
Italy  were  held  by  the  Ostrogoths,  who  were  Arians 
in  faith,  and  strongly  opposed  to  the  religion  of  Jus- 
tinian and  the  pope.  It  was  therefore  evident  that 
the  Ostrogoths  must  be  rooted  out  of  Rome  before 
the  pope  could  exercise  the  power  with  which  he 
had  been  clothed.  To  accomplish  this  object,  the 
Italian  war  was  commenced  in  534.  The  manage- 
ment of  the  campaign  was  intrusted  to  Belisarius 
On  his  approach  toward  Rome,  several  cities  forsook 
Vitijes,  their  Gothic  and  heretical  sovereign,  and 
joined  the  armies  of  the  Catholic  emperor.  The 
Goths,  deciding  to  delay  offensive  operations  till 
spring,  allowed  Belisarius  to  enter  Rome  without  op- 
position. "  The  deputies  of  the  pope  and  clergy,  of 
the  senate  and  people,  invited  the  lieutenant  of  Jus- 
tinian to  accept  their  voluntary  allegiance." 


350  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

Belisarius  entered  Rome  Dec.  10,  536.  But  this 
was  not  an  end  of  the  struggle ;  for  the  Goths,  ral- 
lying their  forces,  resolved  to  dispute  his  possession 
of  the  city  by  a  regular  siege.  They  commenced  in 
March,  537.  Belisarius  feared  despair  and  treachery 
on  the  part  of  the  people.  Several  senators,  and 
Pope  Sylverius,  on  proof  or  suspicion  of  treason, 
were  sent  into  exile.  The  emperor  commanded  the 
clergy  to  elect  a  new  bishop.  After  solemnly  in- 
voking the  Holy  Ghost,  says  Gibbon,  they  elected 
the  deacon  Vigilius,  who,  by  a  bribe  of  two  hundred 
pounds  of  gold,  had  purchased  the  honor. 

The  whole  nation  of  the  Ostrogoths  had  been 
assembled  for  the  siege  of  Rome ;  but  success  did 
not  attend  their  efforts.  Their  hosts  melted  away 
in  frequent  and  bloody  combats  under  the  walls  of 
the  city ;  and  the  year  and  nine  days,  during  which 
the  siege  lasted,  witnessed  almost  the  entire  con- 
sumption of  the  whole  nation.  In  the  month  of 
March,  538,  dangers  beginning  to  threaten  them 
from  other  quarters,  they  raised  the  siege,  burned 
their  tents,  and  retired  in  tumult  and  confusion 
from  the  city,  with  numbers  scarcely  sufficient  to 
preserve  their  existence  as  a  nation,  or  their  iden- 
tity as  a  people. 

Thus  the  Gothic  horn,  the  last  of  the  three,  was 
plucked  up  before  the  little  horn  of  Dan.  7.  Noth- 
ing now  stood  in  the  way  of  the  pope  to  prevent  his 
exercising  the  power  conferred  upon  him  by  Justin- 
ian, five  years  before.  The  saints,  times  and  laws, 
were  now  in  his  hands,  not  in  purpose  only,  but  in 


CHAPTER  XI,    VERSES  82,  S3.  351 

fact.  And  this  must  therefore  be  taken  as  the 
year  when  this  abomination  was  placed,  or  set  up, 
and  as  the  point  from  which  to  date  the  predicted 
12GO  years  of  its  supremacy. 

VERSE  32.  And  such  as  do  wickedly  against  the  covenant 
shall  he  corrupt  by  flatteries  :  but  the  people  that  de  know 
their  God  shall  be  strong,  and  do  exploits. 

Those  that  forsake  the  covenant,  the  Holy  Script- 
ures, and  think  more  of  the  decrees  of  popes  and 
the  decisions  of  councils  than  they  do  of  the  word 
of  God, — these  shall  he,  the  pope,  corrupt  by  flat- 
teries ;  that  is,  lead  them  on  in  their  partisan  zeal 
for  himself  by  the  bestowment  of  wealth,  position, 
and  honors. 

At  the  same  time,  a  people  shall  exist  who  know 
their  God;  and  these  shall  be  strong,  and  do  ex- 
ploits. These  were  those  who  kept  pure  religion 
alive  in  the  earth  during  the  dark  ages  of  papal 
rule,  and  performed  marvelous  acts  of  self-sacrifice 
and  religious  heroism  in  behalf  of  their  faith. 
Prominent  among  these,  stand  the  Waldenses,  Al- 
bigenses,  Huguenots,  etc. 

VERSE  33.  And  they  that  understand  among  the  people 
shall  instruct  many  ;  yet  they  shall  fall  by  the  sword,  and 
by  dame,  by  captivity,  and  by  spoil,  many  days. 

The  long  period  of  papal  persecution  against 
those  who  were  struggling  to  maintain  the  truth 
and  instruct  their  fellow-men  in  ways  of  righteous- 
ness, is  here  brought  to  view.  The  number  of  the 
days  during  which  they  were  thus  to  fall,  is  given 
in  Dan.  7  :  25  ;  12:7;  Rev.  12  :  6,  14  ;  13 :  5. 


352  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

VERSE  34.  Now  when  they  shall  fall,  they  shall  be  holpen 
with  a  little  help  :  but  many  shall  cleave  to  them  with  flat- 
teries. 

In  Rev.  12,  where  this  same  papal  persecution  is 
brought  to  view,  we  read  that  the  earth  helped  the 
woman  by  opening  her  mouth  and  swallowing  up 
the  flood  which  the  dragon  cast  out  after  her.  The 
great  Reformation  by  Luther  and  his  co-workers 
furnished  the  help  here  foretold.  The  German 
States  espoused  the  Protesant  cause,  protected  the 
reformers,  and  restrained  the  work  of  persecution 
so  furiously  carried  on  by  the  papal  church.  But 
when  they  should  be  helped,  and  the  cause  begin 
to  become  popular,  many  should  cleave  unto  them 
with  flatteries,  or  embrace  the  cause  from  unworthy 
motives,  be  insincere,  hollow-hearted,  and  speak 
smooth  and  friendly  words  through  a  policy  of 
self-interest. 

VERSE  35.  And  some  of  them  of  understanding  shall  fall, 
to  try  them,  and  to  purge,  and  to  make  them  white,  even  to 
the  time  of  the  end  ;  because  it  is  yet  for  a  time  appointed. 

Though  restrained,  the  spirit  of  persecution  was 
not  destroyed.  It  broke  out  wherever  there  was 
opportunity.  Especially  was  this  the  case  in  Eng- 
land. The  religious  state  of  that  kingdom  was 
fluctuating,  it  being  sometimes  under  Protestant, 
and  sometimes  under  papal,  jurisdiction,  according 
to  the  religion  of  the  ruling  house.  The  bloody 
queen  Mary  was  a  mortal  enemy  to  the  Protestant 
cause,  and  multitudes  fell  victims  to  her  relentless 
persecutions.  And  this  condition  of  affairs  was  to 


CHAPTER  XI,    VERSE  36.  353 

last  more  or  less  to  the  time  of  the  end.  The  nat- 
ural conclusion  would  be  that  when  the  time  of  the 
end  should  come,  this  power  which  the  church  of 
Rome  had  possessed  to  punish  heretics,  which  had 
been  the  cause  of  so  much  persecution,  and  which 
had  for  a  time  been  restrained,  would  now  be  taken 
entirely  away ;  and  the  conclusion  would  be  equally 
evident  that  this  taking  away  of  the  papal  suprem- 
acy would  mark  the  commencement  of  the  period 
here  called  the  time  of  the  end.  If  this  application 
is  correct,  the  time  of  the  end  commenced  in  1798 ; 
for  there,  as  already  noticed,  the  papacy  was  over- 
thrown by  the  French,  and  has  never  since  been 
able  to  wield  the  power  it  before  possessed. 

TERSE  36.  And  the  king  shall  do  according  to  his  will ; 
and  he  shall  exalt  himself,  and  magnify  himself  above  every 
god,  and  shall  speak  marvellous  things  against  the  God  of 
gods,  and  shall  prosper  till  the  indignation  be  accomplished  ; 
for  that  that  is  determined  shall  be  done. 

The  king  here  introduced  cannot  denote  the 
same  power  which  was  last  noticed,  namely,  the 
papal  power;  for  the  specifications  will  not  hold 
good,  if  applied  to  that  power.  Take  a  declaration 
in  the  next  verse  :  "  Nor  regard  any  god."  This 
has  never  been  true  of  the  papacy.  God  and 
Christ,  though  often  placed  in  a  false  position, 
have  never  been  set  aside  and  rejected  from  that 
system  of  religion.  The  only  difficulty  in  applying 
it  to  a  new  power  lies  in  the  definite  article  "  the ; " 
for,  it  is  urged,  the  expression  "ike  king"  would 
identify  this  as  the  one  last  spoken  of.  If  it  could 
23 


354  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 


be  properly  translated  a  king,  there  would  be  no 
difficulty ;  and  it  is  said  that  some  of  the  best  Bib- 
lical critics  give  it  this  rendering,  Mede,  Wintle, 
Boothroyd,  and  others,  translating  the  passage, 
"A  certain  king  shall  do  according  to  his  will," 
thus  clearly  introducing  a  new  power  upon  the 
stage  of  action. 

Three  particulars  must  be  shown  in  the  power 
which  fulfills  this  prophecy  :  1.  It  must  assume  the 
character  here  delineated  near  the  commencement  of 
the  time  of  the  end,  to  which  we  were  brought  down 
in  the  preceding  verse.  2.  It  must  be  a  willful 
power.  3.  It  must  be  an  atheistical  power.  Or 
perhaps  the  two  latter  might  be  united  by  saying 
that  its  willfulness  would  be  manifested  in  the  di- 
rection of  atheism.  A  revolution  exactly  answering 
to  this  description  did  take  place  in  France  at  the 
time  indicated  in  the  prophecy.  Voltaire  had 
sowed  the  seeds  which  bore  their  legitimate  and 
baleful  fruit.  That  godless  infidel  in  his  impious 
but  impotent  self-conceit  had  said,  "  I  am  weary  of 
hearing  people  repeat  that  twelve  men  established 
the  Christian  religion.  I  will  prove  that  one  man 
may  suffice  to  overthrow  it."  Associating  with  him- 
self such  men  as  Rousseau,  De  Alembert,  Diderot, 
and  others,  he  undertook  the  work.  They  sowed  to 
the  wind  and  reaped  the  whirlwind.  Their  efforts 
culminated  in  the  revolution  of  1793,  when  the  Bible 
was  discarded,  and  the  existence  of  the  Deity  denied, 
as  the  voice  of  the  nation. 

The  historian  thus  describes  this  great  religious 
change : — 


CHAPTER  XI,  VERSE  36.  355 

"It  was  not  enough,  they  said,  for  a  regenerate  nation  to 
have  dethroned  earthly  kings,  unless  she  stretched  out  the 
arm  of  defiance  toward  those  powers  which  superstition  had 
represented  as  reigning  over  boundless  space. " — Scott's  Na- 
poleon, vol.  L,  p.  172. 

Again  he  says  : — 

"  The  constitutional  bishop  of  Paris  was  brought  forward 
to  play  the  principal  part  in  the  most  impudent  and  scandal- 
ous farce  ever  enacted  in  the  face  of  a  national  represcntatior^. 
.  .  .  He  was  brought  forward  in  full  procession,  to  de- 
clare to  the  convention  that  the  religion  which  he  had  taugb* 
so  many  years  was,  in  every  respect,  a  piece  of  PRIESTCRAFT, 
which  had  no  foundation  either  in  history  or  sacred  truth, 
He  disowned,  in  solemn  and  explicit  terms,  the  EXISTENCE  OF 
THE  DEITY  to  whose  worship  he  had  been  consecrated,  and 
devoted  himself  in  future  to  the  homage  of  Liberty,  Equal- 
ity, Virtue,  and  Morality.  He  then  laid  on  the  table  his 
Episcopal  decorations,  and  received  a  fraternal  embrace 
from  the  president  of  the  convention.  Several  apostate 
priests  followed  the  example  of  this  prelate.  .  .  .  The 
world  for  the  FIRST  time,  heard  an  assembly  of  men,  born 
and  educated  in  civilization,  and  assuming  the  right  to  govern 
one  of  the  finest  of  the  European  nations,  uplift  their  united 
voice  to  DENY  the  most  solemn  truth  which  man's  soul  re- 
ceives, and  RENOUNCE  UNANIMOUSLY  THE  BELIEF 
AND  WORSHIP  OF  DEIT Y. "— Ibid. ,  vol.  i,  p.  173. 

A  late  writer  in  Blackwood's  Magazine  says : — 

"France  is  the  only  nation  in  the  world  concerning  which 
the  authentic  record  survives,  that  as  a  nation  she  lifted  her 
hand  in  open  rebellion  against  the  Author  of  the  universe. 
Plenty  of  blasphemers,  plenty  of  infidels,  there  have  been, 
and  still  continue  to  be,  in  England,  Germany,  Spain,  and 
elsewhere  ;  but  France  stands  apart  in  the  world's  history  as 
the  single  State  which,  by  the  decree  wof  her  legislative  as- 
sembly, pronounced  that  there  was  no  GOD,  and  of  which 


356  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

the  entire  population  of  the  capital,  and  a  vast  majority 
elsewhere,  women  as  well  as  men,  danced  and  sang  with  joy 
in  accepting  the  announcement." 

But  there  are  other  more  striking  specifications 
still  fulfilled  in  this  power. 

VERSE  37.  Neither  shall  he  regard  the  God  of  his  fathers, 
nor  the  desire  of  women,  nor  regard  any  god ;  for  he  shall 
magnify  himself  above  all. 

The  word  for  woman  and  wife  are  in  the  origi- 
nal the  same ;  and  Bishop  Newton  observes  that 
this  passage  would  be  more  properly  rendered  "  the 
desire  of  wives."  This  would  seem  to  indicate  that 
this  government,  at  the  same  time  it  declared  that 
God  did  not  exist,  would  trample  under  foot  the 
law  which  that  God  had  given  to  regulate  the  mar- 
riage institution.  And  we  find  that  the  historian 
has,  unconsciously  perhaps,  and  if  so,  all  the  more 
significantly,  coupled  together  the  atheism  and  li- 
centiousness of  this  government  in  the  same  order 
in  which  they  are  presented  in  the  prophecy.  He 
says  : — 

"Intimately  connected  with  these  laws  affecting  religion, 
was  that  which  reduced  the  union  of  marriage — the  most 
sacred  engagement  which  human  beings  can  form,  and  the 
permanence  of  which  leads  most  strongly  to  the  consolida- 
tion of  society — to  the  state  of  a  mere  civil  contract  of  a 
transitory  character,  which  any  two  persons  might  engage 
in,  and  cast  loose  at  pleasure  when  their  taste  was  changed 
or  their  appetite  gratified.  If  fiends  had  set  themselves  at 
work  to  discover  a  mode  of  most  effectually  destroying  what- 
ever is  venerable,  graceful,  or  permanent,  in  domestic  life, 
and  obtaining  at  the  same  time  an  assurance  that  the  mis- 


CHAPTER  XI,  VERSE  37.  357 

chief  which  it  was  their  object  to  create  should  be  perpetu- 
ated from  one  generation  to  another,  they  could  not  have  in- 
vented a  more  effectual  plan  than  the  degradation  of  mar- 
riage into  a  state  of  mere  occasional  cohabitation  or  licensed 
concubinage.  Sophie  Arnoult,  an  actress  famous  for  the 
witty  things  she  said,  described  the  republican  marriage  as 
the  sacrament  of  adultery.  These  anti-religious  and  anti- 
social regulations  did  not  answer  the  purpose  of  the  frantic 
and  inconsiderate  zealots,  by  whom  they  had  been  urged 
forward."  —  Scott's  Napoleon,  vol.  i,  p.  173. 

"  Nor  regard  any  god."  In  addition  to  the  testi- 
mony already  presented,  to  show  the  utter  atheism 
of  the  nation  at  this  time,  the  following  fearful 
language  of  madness  and  presumption  is  to  be  re- 
corded :  — 


"The  fear  of  God  is  so  far  from  being  the  beginning  of 
wisdom,  that  it  is  the  beginning  of  folly.  Modesty  is  only 
an  invention  of  refined  voluptuousness.  The  Supreme  King, 
the  God  of  the  Jews  and  the  Christians,  is  but  a  phantom. 
Jesus  Christ  is  an  impostor. 

Another  writer  says  :  — 

"  In  August  26,  1792,  an  open  profession  of  atheism  was 
made  by  the  National  Convention  ;  and  corresponding  soci- 
eties and  atheistical  clubs  were  everywhere  fearlessly  held  in 
the  French  nation.  Massacres  and  the  reign  of  terror  be- 
came the  most  horrid.  "  —  Smith's  Key  to  Revelation,  p.  323. 

1  'Herbert,  Chaumette,  and  their  associates,  appeared  at 
the  bar  and  declared  that  God  did  not  exist.  "  —  Alison,  vol. 
i,  p.  150. 

At  this  juncture,  all  religious  worship  was  pro- 
hibited, except  that  of  liberty  and  the  country. 
The  gold  and  silver  plate  of  the  churches  was  seized 
upon  and  desecrated.  The  churches  were  closed. 


358  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

The  bells  were  broken  and  cast  into  cannon.  The 
Bible  was  publicly  burned.  The  sacramental  ves- 
sels were  paraded  through  the  streets  on  an  ass,  in 
token  of  contempt.  The  Sabbath  was  abolished, 
and  death  was  declared,  in  conspicuous  letters  posted 
over  their  burial  places,  to  be  an  eternal  sleep. 
But  the  crowning  blasphemy,  if  these  orgies  of  hell 
admit  of  degrees,  remained  to  be  performed  by  the 
comedian  Monvel,  who,  as  a  priest  of  Illun.lnism 
said : — 

"  God,  if  you  exist,  avenge  your  injured  name.  I  bid 
you  defiance  !  You  remain  silent.  You  dare  not  launch 
your  thunders  !  Who,  after  this,  will  believe  in  your  exist- 
ence ?  The  whole  ecclesiastical  establishment  was  destroyed. " 
— Scott's  Napoleon,  vol.  i,  p.  173. 

Behold  what  man  is  when  left  to  himself,  and 
what  infidelity  is  when  the  restraints  of  law  are 
thrown  off,  and  it  has  the  power  in  its  own  hands ! 
Can  it  be  doubted  that  these  scenes  are  what  the 
omniscient  eye  foresaw  and  noted  on  the  sacred 
page  when  it  pointed  out  a  kingdom  to  arise  which 
should  exalt  itself  above  every  god  and  disregard 
them  all  ? 

VERSE  38.  But  in  his  estate  shall  he  honor  the  God  of 
forces  ;  and  a  god  whom  his  fathers  knew  not  shall  he  honor 
with  gold,  and  silver,  and  with  precious  stoi  js,  and  pleasant 
things. 

We  meet  a  seeming  contradiction  in  this  verse. 
How  can  a  nation  disregard  every  god,  and  yet 
honor  the  god  of  forces  ?  It  could  not  at  one  and 
the  same  tune  hold  both  these  positions.  But  it 


CHAPTER  XI,    VERSE  38.  359 

might  for  a  time  disregard  all  gods,  and  then  sub- 
sequently introduce  another  worship  and  regard  the 
god  of  forces.  Did  such  a  change  occur  in  France 
at  this  time  ?  It  did.  The  attempt  to  make  France 
a  godless  nation  produced  such  anarchy  that  the 
rulers  feared  the  power  would  pass  entirely  out  of 
their  hands,  and  therefore  perceived  that,  as  a  po- 
litical necessity,  some  kind  of  worship  must  be  in- 
troduced ;  and  they  did  not  intend  to  introduce  any 
movement  which  would  increase  devotion  or  develop 
any  true  spiritual  character  among  the  people,  but 
only  such  as  would  keep  themselves  in  power,  and 
give  them  control  of  the  national  forces.  A  few 
extracts  from  history  will  show  this.  Liberty  and 
country  were  at  first  the  objects  of  adoration. 
"  Liberty,  equality,  virtue,  and  morality,"  the  very 
opposite  of  anything  they  possessed  in  fact  or  ex- 
hibited in  practice,  were  words  which  they  set  forth 
as  describing  the  deity  of  the  nation.  In  1794-  the 
worship  of  the  Goddess  of  Reason  was  introduced, 
and  is  thus  described  by  the  historian : — 

"  One  of  the  ceremonies  of  this  insane  time  stands  unri- 
valed for  absurdity  combined  with  impiety.  The  doors  of 
the  Convention  were  thrown  open  to  a  band  of  musicians, 
preceded  by  whom,  the  members  of  the  municipal  body  en- 
tered in  solemn  procession,  singing  a  hymn  in  praise  of  Lib- 
erty, and  escorting  as  the  object  of  their  future  worship,  a 
vailed  female  whom  they  termed  the  Goddess  of  Reason. 
Being  brought  within  the  bar,  she  was  unvailed  with  great 
form,  and  placed  on  the  right  hand  of  the  president,  when 
she  was  generally  recognized  as  a  dancing  girl  of  the  opera, 
with  whose  charms  most  of  the  persons  present  were  ac- 
quainted from  her  appearance  on  the  stage,  while  the  expe- 


360  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

rience  of  individuals  was  further  extended.  To  this  person, 
as  the  fittest  representative  of  that  reason  whom  they  wor- 
shipped, the  National  Convention  of  France  rendered  public 
homage.  This  impious  and  ridiculous  mummery  had  a 
certain  fashion;  and  the  installation  of  the  Goddess  of 
Reason  was  renewed  and  imitated  throughout  the  nation,  in 
such  places  where  the  inhabitants  desired  to  show  themselves 
equal  to  all  the  heights  of  the  Revolution." — Scott's  Life  of 
Napoleon. 

In  introducing  the  worship  of  Reason,  in  1794, 
Chaumette  said  : — 

"  Legislative  fanaticism  has  lost  its  hold ;  it  has  given 
place  to  reason.  We  have  left  its  temples ;  they  are  re- 
generated. To-day  an  immense  multitude  are  assembled 
under  its  Gothic  roofs,  which,  for  the  first  time,  will  re-echo 
the  voice  of  truth.  There  the  French  will  celebrate  their 
true  worship — that  of  Liberty  and  Reason.  There  we  will 
form  new  vows  for  the  prosperity  of  the  armies  of  the  Re- 
public ;  there  we  will  abandon  the  worship  of  inanimate 
idols  for  that  of  reason — this  animated  image,  the  master- 
piece of  creation. 

"A  vailed  female,  arrayed  in  blue  drapery,  was  brought 
into  the  convention ;  and  Chaumette,  taking  her  by  the 
hand — 

"Mortals,"  said  he,  "cease  to  tremble  before  the  pow- 
erless thunders  of  a  God,  whom  your  fears  have  created. 
Henceforth  acknowledge  NO  DIVINITY  but  REASON.  I  offer 
you  its  noblest  and  purest  image  ;  if  you  must  have  idols, 

sacrifice  only  to  such  as  this Fall  before  the  august 

Senate  of  Freedom — Vail  of  Reason. 

"  At  the  same  time  the  goddess  appeared  personified  by  a 
celebrated  beauty,  Madame  Millard,  of  the  opera,  known  in 
more  than  one  character  to  most  of  the  Convention.  The 
goddess,  after  being  embraced  by  the  president,  was  mounted 
on  a  magnificent  car,  and  conducted  amidst  an  immense 
crowd  to  the  cathedral  of  Notre  Dame,  to  take  the  place  of 


CHAPTER  XI,   VERSE  39. 


ike.  Deity.  Then  she  was  elevated  on  the  high  altar,  and  re- 
ceived the  adoration  of  all  present. 

"  On  the  llth  of  November,  the  popular  society  of  the 
museum  entered  the  hall  of  the  municipality,  exclaiming, 
1  Vive  la  Reason  !  '  and  carrying  on  the  top  of  a  pole  the 
half-burnt  remains  of  several  books,  among  others  the  bre- 
viaries and  the  Old  and  New  Testaments,  which  *  expiated  in 
a  great  fire,'  said  the  president,  '  all  the  fooleries  which  they 
have  made  the  human  race  commit.  ' 

"  The  most  sacred  relations  of  life  were  at  the  same  period 
placed  on  a  new  footing  suited  to  the  extravagant  ideas  of 
the  times.  Marriage  was  declared  a  civil  contract,  binding 
only  during  the  pleasure  of  the  contracting  parties.  Made- 
moiselle Arnoult,  a  celebrated  comedian,  expressed  the  pub- 
lic feeling  when  she  called  l  marriage  the  sacrament  of  adul- 
tery. '  "—Ibid. 

Truly,  this  was  a  strange  god,  whom  the  fathers 
of  that  generation  knew  not.  No  such  deity  had 
ever  before  been  set  up  as  an  object  of  adoration. 
And  well  might  it  be  called  the  god  of  forces  ;  for 
the  object  of  the  movement  was  to  cause  the  peo- 
ple to  renew  their  covenant  and  repeat  their  vows 
for  the  prosperity  of  the  armies  of  France.  Read 
again  a  few  lines  from  the  extract  already  given  :  — 

"We  have  left  its  temples;  they  are  regenerated.     To- 

Iday  an  immense  multitude  are  assembled  under  its  Gothic 
roofs,  which,  for  the  first  time,  will  re-echo  the  voice  of  truth. 
There  the  French  will  celebrate  their  true  worship  —  that  of 
Liberty  and  Reason.  There  we  will  form  new  vows  for  the 
prosperity  of  the  armies  of  the  Republic." 

VERSE  39.  Thus  shall  he  do  in  the  most  strong  holds  with 
a  strange  god,  whom  he  shall  acknowledge  and  increase  with 
glory  ;  and  he  shall  cause  them  to  rule  over  many,  and  shall 
divide  the  land  for  gain. 


362  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

The  system  of  paganism  which  had  been  intro- 
duced into  France,  as  exemplified  in  the  worship  of 
the  idol  set  up  in  the  person  of  the  Goddess  of 
Reason,  and  regulated  by  a  heathen  ritual  which 
had  been  enacted  by  the  National  Assembly  for  the 
use  of  the  French  people  continued  in  force  till  the 
appointment  of  Napoleon  to  the  provisional  consu- 
late of  France  in  1799.  The  adherents  of  this 
strange  religion  occupied  the  fortified  places,  the 
strongholds  of  the  nation,  as  expressed  in  this  verse. 

But  that  which  serves  to  identify  the  application 
of  this  prophecy  to  France,  perhaps  as  clearly  as 
any  other  particular,  is  the  statement  made  in  the 
last  clause  of  the  verse,  namc3ly,  that  they  should 
"  divide  the  land  for  gain."  Previous  to  the  revo- 
lution, the  landed  property  of  France  was  owned 
by  a  few  landlords  in  immense  estates.  These  es- 
tates were  required  by  the  law  to  remain  undivided 
so  that  no  heirs  or  creditors  could  partition  them. 
But  revolution  knows  no  law  ;  and  in  the  anarchy 
that  now  reigned,  as  noted  also  in  the  eleventh  of 
Revelation,  the  titles  of  the  nobility  were  abolished, 
and  their  lands  disposed  of  in  small  parcels  for  the 
benefit  of  the  public  exchequer.  The  government 
was  in  need  of  funds,  and  these  large  landed  es- 
tates were  confiscated  and  sold  at  auction,  in  parcels 
to  suit  purchasers.  The  historian  thus  records  this 
unique  transaction: — 

"The  confiscation  of  two-thirds  of  the  landed  property  of 
the  kingdom,  which  arose  from  the  decrees  of  the  Conven- 
tion against  the  emigrants,  clergy,  and  persons  convicted  at 


I 


CHAPTER  XI,   VERSE  40.  3(53 

the  Revolutionary  Tribunals,  ....  placed  funds  worth 
above  £700,000,000  sterling  at  the  disposal  of  the  govern- 
ment."— Alison,  vol.  iv,  p.  151. 

When  did  ever  an  event  transpire,  and  in  what 
country,  fulfilling  a  prophecy  more  completely  than 
this  ?  As  the  nation  began  to  come  to  itself,  a  more 
rational  religion  was  demanded,  and  the  heathen 
ritual  was  abolished.  The  historian  thus  describes 
that  event: — 

"  A  third  and  bolder  measure  was  the  discarding  of  the 
heathen  ritual,  and  re-opening  the  churches  for  Christian 
worship  ;  and  of  this  the  credit  was  wholly  Napoleon's,  who 
had  to  contend  with  the  philosophic  prej  udices  of  almost  all 
his  colleagues.  He,  in  his  conversations  with  them,  made 
no  attempts  to  represent  himself  a  believer  in  Christianity, 
but  stood  only  on  the  necessity  of  providing  the  people  with 
the  regular  means  of  worship,  wherever  it  is  meant  to  have 
a  state  of  tranquility.  The  priests  who  chose  to  take  the 
oath  of  fidelity  to  the  government  wore  re-admitted  to  their 
functions ;  and  this  wise  measure  was  followed  by  the  ad- 
herence of  not  less  than  20,000  of  these  ministers  of  religion, 
who  had  hitherto  languished  in  the  prisons  of  France." — 
Lockhart's  Life  of  Napoleon,  vol.  i,  p.  154. 

Thus  terminated  the  reign  of  terror  and  the  in- 
fidel revolution.  Out  of  its  ruins  rose  Bonaparte, 
to  guide  the  tumult  to  his  own  elevation,  place  him- 
self at  the  head  of  the  French  government,  and 
strike  terror  to  the  hearts  of  nations. 

VERSE  40.  And  at  the  time  of  the  end  shall  the  king  of 
the  south  push  at  him  ;  and  the  king  of  the  north  shall  come 
against  him  like  a  whirlwind,  with  chariots,  and  with  horse- 
men, and  with  many  ships  ;  and  he  shall  enter  into  the 
countries,  and  shall  overflow  and  pass  over. 


364  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

After  a  long  interval,  the  king  of  the  south  and 
the  king  of  the  north  again  appear  on  the  stage  of 
action.  We  have  met  with  nothing  to  indicate 
that  we  are  to  look  to  any  different  localities  for 
these  powers  from  those  which,  shortly  after  the 
death  of  Alexander,  constituted  respectively  the 
southern  and  northern  divisions  of  his  empire.  The 
king  of  the  south  was  at  that  time  Egypt,  and  the 
king  of  the  north  was  Syria,  including  Thrace  and 
Asia  Minor.  Egypt  is  still,  by  common  agreement, 
the  king  of  the  south,  while  the  territory  which  at 
first  constituted  the  king  of  the  north,  has  been  for 
the  past  four  hundred  years  wholly  included  within 
the  dominions  of  the  Sultan  of  Turkey.  To  Egypt 
and  Turkey  then,  in  connection  with  the  power  last 
under  consideration,  we  must  look  for  a  fulfillment 
of  the  verse  before  us. 

This  application  of  the  prophecy  calls  for  a  con- 
flict to  spring  up  between  Egypt  and  France,  and 
Turkey  and  France,  in  1798 ;  which  year  we  have 
seen  to  be  the  commencement  of  the  time  of  the 
end ;  and  if  history  testifies  that  such  a  triangular 
war  did  break  out  in  that  year,  it  will  be  conclu- 
sive proof  of  the  correctness  of  the  application. 

We  inquire,  therefore,  Is  it  a  fact  that  at  the 
time  of  the  end,  Egypt  did  "  push,"  or  make  a  com- 
paratively feeble  resistance,  while  Turkey  did  come 
like  a  resistless  "whirlwind,"  against  "him,"  that 
is,  the  government  of  France  ?  We  have  already 
produced  some  evidence  that  the  time  of  the  end 
commenced  in  1798  ;  and  no  reader  of  history  need 


CHAPTER  XI,  VERSE  40.  365 

be  informed  that  in  that  very  year  a  state  of  open 
hostility  between  France  and  Egypt  was  in- 
augurated. 

To  what  extent  this  conflict  owed  its  origin  to 
the  dreams  of  glory  deliriously  cherished  in  the 
ambitious  brain  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte,  the  his- 
torian will  form  his  own  opinion ;  but  the  French, 
or  Bonaparte,  at  least,  contrived  to  make  Egypt  the 
aggressor.  Thus,  when  in  the  invasion  of  that  coun- 
try he  had  secured  his  first  foothold  in  Alexandria, 
he  declared  that  "  he  had  not  come  to  ravage  the 
country  or  to  wrest  it  from  the  Grand  Seignior,  but 
merely  to  deliver  it  from  the  domination  of  the 
Mamelukes,  and  to  revenge  the  outrages  which  they 
had  committed  against  France" — Thiers'  French 
Revolution,  vol.  iv,  p.  268.  Again  the  historian 
says :  "  Besides,  he  [Bonaparte]  had  strong  reasons 
to  urge  against  them  [the  Mamelukes]  ;  for  they 
had  never  ceased  to  ill-treat  the  French." — Ib. 
p.  273. 

The  beginning  of  the  year  1798  found  France  in- 
dulging in  immense  projects  against  the  English. 
The  Directory  desired  Bonaparte  to  undertake  at 
once  a  descent  upon  England ;  but  he  saw  that  no 
direct  operations  of  that  kind  could  be  judiciously 
undertaken  before  the  fall ;  and  he  was  unwilling 
to  hazard  his  growing  reputation,  by  spending  the 
summer  in  idleness.  "But,"  says  the  historian,  "he 
saw  a  far-off  land,  where  a  glory  was  to  be  won 
which  would  gain  a  new  charm  in  the  eyes  of  his 
countrymen,  by  the  romance  and  mystery  which 


366  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 


hung  upon  the  scene.  Egypt,  the  land  of  the  Pha- 
raohs and  the  Ptolemies,  would  be  a  noble  field  for 
new  triumphs." — White's  History  of  France,  p.  469. 
But  while  still  broader  visions  of  glory  opened  be- 
fore the  eyes  of  Bonaparte  in  those  eastern  historic 
lands,  covering  not  Egypt  only,  but  Syria,  Persia, 
Hindostan,  even  to  the  Ganges  itself,  he  had  no  dif- 
ficulty in  persuading  the  Directory  that  Egypt  was 
the  vulnerable  point  through  which  to  strike  at 
England,  by  intercepting  her  eastern  trade.  Hence, 
on  the  pretext  above  mentioned,  the  Egyptian  cam- 
paign was  undertaken. 

The  downfall  of  the  papacy,  which  marked  the 
termination  of  the  1260  years,  and,  according  to 
verse  35,  showed  the  commencement  of  the  time  of 
the  end,  transpired  on  the  10th  of  February,  1798, 
when  Rome  fell  into  the  hands  of  Berth  ier,  the 
general  of  the  French.  On  the  5th  of  March  fol- 
lowing, Bonaparte  received  the  decree  of  the  Di- 
rectory relative  to  the  expedition  against  Egypt. 
May  3,  he  left  Paris,  and  set  sail  from  Toulon  the 
19th,  with  a  large  naval  armament,  consisting  of 
500  sail,  carrying  40,000  soldiers  and  10,000  sail- 
ors. July  5,  Alexandria  was  taken,  and  immedi- 
ately fortified.  On  the  23d,  the  decisive  battle  of 
the  pyramids  was  fought,  in  which  the  Mamelukes 
contested  the  field  with  valor  and  desperation,  but 
were  no  match  for  the  disciplined  legions  of  the 
French.  Murad  Bey  lost  all  his  cannon,  400  cam- 
els, and  3000  men.  The  loss  of  the  French  was 
comparatively  slight.  On  the  24th,  Bonaparte  en- 


CHAPTER  XI,  VERSE  4Q.  367 

tered  Cairo,  the  capital  of  Egypt,  and  only  waited 
the  subsidence  of  the  floods  of  the  Nile,  to  pursue 
Murad  Bey  to  Upper  Egypt  whither  he  had  re- 
tired with  his  shattered  cavalry,  and  so  make  a 
conquest  of  the  whole  country.  Thus  the  king  of 
the  south  was  able  to  make  but  a  feeble  resistance. 

At  this  juncture,  however,  the  situation  of  Na- 
poleon began  to  grow  precarious.  The  French  fleet, 
which  was  his  only  channel  of  communication  with 
France,  was  destroyed  by  the  English  under  Nel- 
son at  Aboukir ;  and  on  September  2,  of  this  same 
year,  1798,  the  Sultan  of  Turkey,  under  feelings  of 
jealousy  against  France,  artfully  fostered  by  the 
English  ambassadors  at  Constantinople,  and  exas- 
perated that  Egypt,  so  long  a  semi-dependency  of 
the  Ottoman  Empire,  should  be  transformed  into 
a  French  province,  declared  war  against  France. 
Thus  the  king  of  the  north  [Turkey]  came  against 
him  [France]  in  the  same  year  that  the  king  of  the 
south  [Egypt]  "  pushed,"  and  both  "  at  the  time  of 
the  end;"  which  is  another  conclusive  proof  that 
the  year  1798  is  the  year  which  begins  that  period. 

Was  the  coming  of  the  king  of  the  north,  or 
Turkey,  like  the  whirlwind  in  comparison  with  the 
pushing  of  Egypt  ?  Napoleon  had  crushed  the 
armies  of  Egypt ;  he  essayed  to  do  the  same  thing 
with  the  armies  of  the  Sultan,  who  were  menacing 
an  attack  from  the  side  of  Asia.  Feb.  27,  1799, 
with  18,000  men,  he  commenced  his  march  from 
Cairo  to  Syria.  He  first  took  the  fort  of  El-Arish, 
in  the  desert,  then  Jaffa  (the  Joppa  of  the  Bible), 


368  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

conquered  the  inhabitants  of  Naplous  at  Zeta,  and 
was  again  victorious  at  Jafet.  Meanwhile  a  strong 
body  of  Turks  had  intrenched  themselves  at  St. 
Jean  d'Acre,  while  swarms  of  Mussulmans  gathered 
in  the  mountains  of  Samaria,  ready  to  swoop  down 
upon  the  French  when  they  should  besiege  Acre. 
Sir  Sidney  Smith  at  the  same  time  appeared  before 
St.  Jean  d'Acre  with  two  English  ships,  reinforced 
the  Turkish  garrison  of  that  place,  and  captured 
the  apparatus  for  the  siege,  which  Napoleon  had 
sent  round  by  sea  from  Alexandria.  A  Turkish 
fleet  soon  appeared  in  the  offing,  which,  with  the 
Russian  and  English  vessels  then  co-operating  with 
them,  constituted  the  "  many  ships  "  of  the  king  of 
the  north. 

On  the  18th  of  March  the  siege  commenced. 
Napoleon  was  twice  called  away  to  save  some 
French  divisions  from  falling  into  the  hand  of  the 
Mussulman  hordes  that  filled  the  country.  Twice 
also  a  breach  was  made  in  the  wall  of  the  city; 
but  the  assailants  were  met  with  such  fury  by  the 
garrison,  that  they  were  obliged,  despite  their  best 
efforts,  to  give  over  the  struggle.  After  a  continu- 
ance of  sixty  days,  Napoleon  raised  the  siege, 
sounded,  for  the  first  time  in  his  career,  the  note  of 
retreat,  and  on  the  21st  of  May,  1799,  commenced 
to  retrace  his  steps  to  Egypt. 

"And  he  shall  overflow  and  pass  over."  We 
have  found  events  which  furnish  a  very  striking 
fulfillment  of  the  pushing  of  the  king  of  the  south, 
and  the  whirlwind  onset  of  the  king  of  the  north, 


CHAPTER  XI,  VERSS  40.  369 

against  the  French  power.  Thus  far  there  is  quite 
a  general  agreement  in  the  application  of  the  proph- 
ecy. We  now  reach  a  point  where  the  views  of  ex- 
positors begin  to  diverge.  To  whom  do  the  words, 
"  he  shall  overflow  and  pass  over,"  refer  ?  to  France 
or  the  king  of  the  north  ?  The  application  of  the 
remainder  of  this  chapter  depends  upon  the  answer 
to  this  question.  From  this  point,  two  lines  of  in- 
terpretation are  maintained.  Some  apply  the  words 
to  France,  and  endeavor  to  find  a  fulfillment  in  the 
career  of  Napoleon.  Others  apply  them  to  the 
king  of  the  north,  and  accordingly  point  for  a  ful- 
fillment to  events  in  the  history  of  Turkey.  We 
speak  of  these  two  positions  only,  as  the  attempt 
which  some  make  to  bring  in  the  papacy  here  is 
so  evidently  wide  of  the  mark  that  its  considera- 
tion need  not  detain  us.  If  neither  of  these  posi- 
tions is  free  from  difficulty,  as  we  presume  no  one 
will  claim  that  it  is,  absolutely,  it  only  remains 
that  we  take  that  one  which  has  the  weight  of  evi- 
dence in  its  favor. 

Respecting  the  application  of  the  prophecy  to 
Napoleon,  or  to  France  under  his  leadership,  so  far 
as  we  are  acquainted  with  his  history,  we  do  not 
find  events  which  we  can  urge  with  any  degree  of 
assurance,  as  the  fulfillment  of  the  remaining  por- 
tion of  this  chapter ;  and  hence  do  not  see  how  it 
can  be  thus  applied.  It  must,  then,  be  fulfilled  by 
Turkey,  unless  it  can  be  shown  (1)  that  the  ex- 
pression, "king  of  the  north,"  does  not  apply  to 
Turkey,  or  (2)  that  there  is  some  other  power  be- 

24 


370 


THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 


sides  either  France  or  the  king  of  the  north,  which 
'fulfilled  this  part  of  the  prediction.  But  if  Turkey, 
now  occupying  the  territory  which  constituted  the 
northern  division  of  Alexander's  empire,  is  not  the 
king  of  the  north  of  this  prophecy,  then  we  are  left 
without  any  principle  to  guide  us  in  the  interpre- 
tation. And  we  presume  all  will  be  agreed  that 
there  is  no  room  for  the  introduction  of  any  other 
power  here.  The  French  king  and  the  king  of  the 
north,  are  the  only  ones  to  whom  the  prediction 
can  apply.  The  fulfillment  must  lie  between  them. 
Some  considerations  certainly  favor  the  idea  that 
there  is,  in  the  latter  part  of  verse  40,  a  transfer  of 
the  burden  of  the  prophecy  from  the  French  power 
to  the  king  of  the  north.  The  king  of  the  north  is 
introduced  just  before  as  coming  forth  like  a  whirl- 
wind, with  chariots,  horsemen,  and  many  ships. 
The  collision  between  this  power  and  the  French 
we  have  already  noticed.  The  king  of  the  north 
with  the  aid  of  his  allies,  gained  the  day  in  this 
contest;  and  the  French,  foiled  in  their  efforts, 
were  driven  back  into  Egypt.  Now  it  would  seem 
to  be  the  more  natural  application  to  refer  the  "over- 
flowing and  passing  over  "  to  that  power  which 
emerged  in  triumph  from  that  struggle ;  and  that 
power  was  Turkey.  We  will  only  add  that  one 
who  is  familiar  with  the  Hebrew  assures  us  that 
the  construction  of  this  verse  is  such  as  to  make  it 
necessary  to  refer  the  overflowing  and  passing  over 
to  the  king  of  the  north,  these  words  expressing 
the  result  of  that  movement  which  is  just  before 
likened  to  the  fury  .of  the  whirlwind. 


CHAPTER  XI,  VERSE  41-  371 

VERSE  41.  He  shall  enter  also  into  the  glorious  land,  and 
many  countries  shall  be  overthrown  :  but  these  shall  escape 
out  of  his  hand,  even  Edom,  and  Moab,  and  the  chief  of  the 
children  of  Ammon. 

The  facts  just  stated  relative  to  the  campaign  of 
the  French  aganist  Turkey,  and  the  repulse  of  the 
former  at  St.  Jean  d'Acre,  were  drawn  chiefly 
from  the  Encyclopedia  Americana.  From  the  same 
source,  we  gather  further  particulars  respecting  the 
retreat  of  the  French  into  Egypt,  and  the  additional 
reverses  which  compelled  them  to  evacuate  that 
country. 

Abandoning  a  campaign  in  which  one  third  of 
the  army  had  fallen  victims  to  war  and  the  plague, 
the  French  retired  from  St.  Jean  d'Acre,  and  after 
a  fatiguing  march  of  twenty-six  days,  re-entered 
Cairo  in  Egypt.  They  thus  abandoned  all  the  con- 
quests they  had  made  in  Judea;  and  the  "glorious 
land,"  Palestine,  with  all  its  provinces,  here  called 
"countries,"  fell  back  again  under  the  oppressive 
rule  of  the  Turk.  Edom,  Moab,  and  Ammon,  ly- 
ing outside  the  limits  of  Palestine,  south  and  east 
of  the  Dead  Sea  and  Jordan,  were  out  of  the  line 
of  March  of  the  Turks  from  Syria  to  Egypt,  and  so 
escaped  the  ravages  of  that  campaign.  On  this 
passage,  Adam  Clarke  has  the  following  note: 
"  These  and  other  Arabians,  they  [the  Turks]  have 
never  been  able  to  subdue.  They  still  occupy  the 
deserts,  and  receive  a  yearly  pension  of  forty  thou- 
sand crowns  of  gold  from  the  Ottoman  emperors 
to  permit  the  caravans  with  the  pilgrims  for  Mecca 
to  have  a  free  passage." 


372  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

VERSE  42.  He  shall  stretch  forth  his  hand  also  upon  the 
countries  ;  and  the  land  of  Egypt  shall  not  escape. 

On  the  retreat  of  the  French  to  Egypt,  a  Turk- 
ish fleet  landed  18,000  men  at  Aboukir.  Napo- 
leon immediately  attacked  the  place,  completely 
routing  the  Turks,  and  re-establishing  his  author- 
ity in  Egypt.  But  at  this  point,  severe  reverses  to 
the  French  arms  in  Europe  called  Napoleon  home 
to  look  after  the  interests  of  his  own  country.  The 
command  of  the  troops  in  Egypt  was  left  with  Gen. 
Kleber,  who,  after  a  period  of  untiring  activity  for 
the  benefit  of  the  army,  was  murdered  by  a  Turk 
in  Cairo,  and  the  command  was  left  with  Abdallah 
Menou.  With  an  army  which  could  not  be  re- 
cruited, every  loss  was  serious. 

Meantime,  the  English  government,  as  the  ally 
of  the  Turks,  had  resolved  to  wrest  Egypt  from  the 
French.  March  13,  1800,  an  English  fleet  disem- 
barked a  body  of  troops  at  Aboukir.  The  French 
gave  battle  the  next  day,  but  were  forced  to  retire. 
On  the  18th,  Aboukir  surrendered.  On  the  28th, 
reinforcements  were  brought  by  a  Turkish  fleet, 
and  the  grand  vizier  approached  from  Syria  with  a 
large  army.  The  19th,  E/osetta  surrendered  to  the 
combined  forces  of  the  English  and  Turks.  At 
Ramanieh,  a  French  corps  of  4000  men  was  de- 
feated by  8000  English  and  6000  Turks.  At  El- 
menayer,  5000  French  were  obliged  to  retreat,  May 
16,  by  the  vizier  who  was  pressing  forward  to  Cairo 
with  20,000  men.  The  whole  French  army  was 
now  shut  up  in  Cairo  and  Alexandria.  Cairo  cap- 


CHAPTER  XI,  VERSE  J&.  373 

itulated  June  27,  and  Alexandria,  Sept.  2.  Four 
weeks  after,  Oct.  1,  1801,  the  preliminaries  of  peace 
were  signed  at  London. 

"  Egypt  shall  not  escape,"  were  the  words  of  the 
prophecy.  This  language  seeins  to  imply  that  Egypt 
would  be  brought  into  subjection  to  some  power 
from  whose  dominion  it  would  desire  to  be  released. 
As  between  the  French  and  Turks,  how  did  this 
question  stand  with  the  Egyptians?  They  pre- 
ferred French  rule.  In  R.  R.  Madden's  travels  in 
Egypt,  Nubia,  Turkey,  and  Palestine,  in  the  years 
1824-27,  published  in  London  in  1829,  it  is  stated 
that  the  French  were  much  regretted  by  the  Egyp- 
tians, and  extolled  as  benefactors;  that  "for  the 
short  period  they  remained,  they  left  traces  of 
amelioration,"  and  that,  if  they  could  have  estab- 
lished their  power,  Egypt  would  now  be  compara- 
tively civilized.  In  view  of  this  testimony  the 
language  would  not  be  appropriate  if  applied  to 
the  French;  for  the  Egyptians  did  not  desire  to 
escape  out  of  their  hands.  They  did  desire  to 
escape  from  the  hands  of  the  Turks,  but  could  not. 

VERSE  43.  But  he  shall  have  power  over  the  treasures  of 
gold  and  of  silver,  and  over  all  the  precious  things  of  Egypt ; 
and  the  Libyans  and  the  Ethiopians  shall  be  at  his  steps. 

In  illustration  of  this  verse  we  quote  the  follow- 
big  from  "  Historic  Echoes  of  the  voice  of  God,"  p. 
49. 

"  History  gives  the  following  facts  :  When  the  French 
were  driven  out  of  Egypt,  and  the  Turks  took  possession, 
the  Sultan  permitted  the  Egyptians  to  reorganize  their  gov- 


374  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

eniment  as  it  was  before  the  French  invasion.  He  asked  of 
the  Egyptians  neither  soldiers,  guns,  nor  fortifications, 
but  left  them  to  manage  their  own  affairs  independently, 
with  the  important  exception  of  putting  the  nation  under 
tribute  to  himself.  In  the  articles  of  agreement  between  the 
Sultan  and  the  Pasha  of  Egypt,  it  was  stipulated  that  the 
Egyptians  should  pay  annually  to  the  Turkish  government  a 
certain  amount  of  gold  and  silver,  and  '  six  hundred  thou- 
sand measures  of  corn,  and  four  hundred  thousand  of 
barley.'" 

"The  Libyans  and  the  Ethiopians,"  "the  Cushim," 
says  Dr.  Clarke,  "the  unconquered  Arabs,"  who 
have  sought  the  friendship  of  the  Turks,  and  many 
of  whom  are  tributary  to  them  to  the  present  time. 

VERSE  44.  But  tidings  out  of  the  east  and  out  of  the 
north  shall  trouble  him  ;  therefore  he  shall  go  forth  with 
great  fury  to  destroy,  and  utterly  to  make  away  many. 

On  this  verse  also  Dr.  Clarke  has  a  note  which  is 
worthy  of  mention.  He  says :  "  This  part  of  the 
prophecy  is  allowed  to  be  yet  unfulfilled."  His 
note  was  printed  in  1825.  In  another  portion  of 
his  comment,  he  says :  "  If  the  Turkish  power  be 
understood,  as  in  the  preceding  verses,  it  may 
mean  that  the  Persians  on  the  east,  and  the  Rus- 
sians on  the  north,  will  at  some  time  greatly  em- 
barrass the  Ottoman  government." 

Between  this  conjecture  of  Dr.  Clarke's,  written 
in  1825,  and  the  Crimean  war  of  1853  to  1856, 
there  is  certainly  a  striking  co-incidence,  inasmuch 
as  the  very  powers  he  mentions,  the  Persians  on 
the  east  and  the  Russians  on  the  north,  were  the 
ones  which  instigated  that  conflict  Tidings  from 


CHAPTER  XI,   VERSE  45.  375 

these  powers  troubled  him  [Turkey].  Their  atti- 
tude and  movements  incited  the  Sultan  to  anger 
and  revenge.  Russia  being  the  more  aggressive 
party  was  the  object  of  attack.  Turkey  declared 
war  on  her  powerful  northern  neighbor  in  1853. 
The  world  looked  on  in  amazement  to  see  a  govern- 
ment which  had  long  been  called  "  the  Sick  Man  of 
the  East,"  a  government  whose  army  was  dispirited 
and  demoralized,  whose  treasuries  were  empty, 
whose  rulers  were  vile  and  imbecile,  and  whose 
subjects  were  rebellious,  and  threatening  secession, 
rush  with  such  impetuosity  into  the  conflict.  The 
prophecy  said  that  they  should  go  forth  with 
"  great  fury  "  ;  and  when  they  thus  went  forth,  the 
profane  vernacular  of  an  American  writer  described 
them  as  fighting  "like  devils."  England  and 
France,  it  is  true,  soon  came  to  the  help  of  Turkey ; 
but  she  went  forth  in  the  manner  described,  and, 
as  is  reported,  gained  victory  after  victory,  before 
receiving  the  assistance  of  these  powers. 

VERSE  45.  And  he  shall  plant  the  tabernacles  of  his  pal- 
ace between  the  seas  in  the  glorious  holy  mountain  ;  yet  he 
shall  conie  to  his  end,  and  none  shall  help  him 

We  have  now  traced  the  prophecy  of  the  llth 
of  Daniel  down,  step  by  step,  and  have  thus 
far  found  events  to  fulfill  all  its  predictions.  It 
has  all  been  wrought  out  into  history  except  this 
last  verse.  The  predictions  of  the  preceding  verse 
having  been  fulfilled  within  the  memory  of  the 
generation  now  living,  we  are  carried  by  this  one 
past  our  own  day  into  the  future ;  for  no  power 


376  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

has  yet  performed  the  acts  here  described.  But  it 
is  to  be  fulfilled;  and  its  fulfillment  must  be  ac- 
complished by  that  power  which  has  been  contin- 
uously the  subject  of  the  prophecy  from  the  40th 
verse,  down  to  this  45th  verse.  If  the  appli- 
cation to  which  we  have  given  the  preference, 
in  passing  over  these  verses,  is  correct,  we  must 
look  to  Turkey  to  make  the  move  here  indicated. 

And  let  it  here  be  noted  how  readily  this  could 
be  done.  Palestine,  which  contains  the  "glorious 
holy  mountain,"  the  mountain  on  which  Jerusalem 
stands,  "  between  the  seas,"  the  Dead  Sea  and  the 
Mediterranean,  is  a  Turkish  province ;  and  if  the 
Turk  should  be  obliged  to  retire  hastily  from  Eu- 
rope, he  could  easily  go  to  any  point  within  his 
own  dominions,  to  establish  his  temporary  head- 
quarters, here  appropriately  described  as  the  taber- 
nacles, movable  dwellings,  of  his  palace ;  but  he 
could  not  go  beyond  them.  The  most  notable  point 
within  the  limit  of  Turkey  in  Asia,  is  Jerusalem. 

And  mark,  also,  how  applicable  the  language  to 
that  power  :  "  He  shall  come  to  his  end,  and  none 
shall  help  him."  This  plainly  implies  that  this 
power  has  previously  received  help.  And  what  are 
the  facts  ?  In  the  war  against  France  in  1798- 
1801,  in  the  war  between  Turkey  and  Egypt  in 
1838-1840,  in  the  Crimean  war  in  1853-6,  and  in 
the  late  Russo-Turkish  war,  Turkey  received  the 
assistance  of  other  powers,  without  which  she 
would  probably  have  failed  to  maintain  her  posi- 
tion. And  it  is  a  notorious  fact  that  since  the  fall 


CHAPTER  XI,    VERSE  £5.  377 

of  the  Ottoman  supremacy  in  1840,  that  empire 
has  existed  only  through  the  sufferance  of  the  great 
powers  of  Europe.  Without  their  pledged  support, 
she  would  not  be  long  able  to  maintain  even  a 
nominal  existence,  and  when  that  is  withdrawn, 
she  must  come  to  the  ground.  So  the  prophecy 
says  the  king  comes  to  his  end,  and  none  help  him , 
and  he  comes  to  his  end,  as  we  may  naturally  infer, 
because  none  help  him  ;  because  the  support  previ- 
ously rendered  is  withdrawn. 

Have  we  any  indications  that  this  part  of  the 
prophecy  is  soon  to  be  fulfilled  ?  As  we  raise  this 
inquiry,  we  look  not  to  dim  and  distant  ages  in  the 
past,  whose  events,  so  long  ago  transferred  to  the 
page  of  history,  now  interest  only  the  few,  but  to 
the  present,  living,  moving  world.  Are  the  nations 
which  are  now  on  the  stage  of  action,  with  their 
disciplined  armies  and  their  multiplied  weapons  of 
war,  making  any  movement  looking  to  this  end  ? 

All  eyes  are  now  turned  with  interest  toward 
Turkey;  and  the  unanimous  opinion  of  statesmen 
is,  that  the  Turk  is  destined  soon  to  be  driven  from 
Europe.  Some  years  since,  a  correspondent  of  the 
N.  Y.  Tribune,  writing  from  the  East,  said:  "Rus- 
sia is  arming  to  the  teeth,  ...  to  be  avenged  on 

Turkey Two  campaigns  of  the  Russian  army 

will  drive  the  Turks  out  of  Europe!'  Carleton, 
formerly  a  correspondent  of  the  Boston  Journal, 
writing  from  Paris  under  the  head  of  "  The  East- 
ern Question,"  said : — 

"  The  theme  of  conversation  during  the  last  week  has  not 


378  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

been  concerning  the  Expedition,  but  the  '  Eastern  Question.' 
To  what  will  it  grow  !  Will  there  be  war  ?  What  is  Russia 
going  to  do  1  What  position  are  the  Western  powers  going 
to  take  'I  These  are  questions  discussed  not  only  in  the  cafes, 
and  restaurants,  but  in  the  Corps  Legislatif.  Perhaps  I  can- 
not render  better  service  at  the  present  time  than  to  group 
together  some  facts  in  regard  to  this  question,  which,  ac- 
cording to  present  indications,  are  to  engage  the  immediate 
attention  of  the  world.  What  is  the  '  Eastern  Question  '  ? 
It  is  not  easy  to  give  a  definition ;  for  to  Russia  it  may  mean 
one  thing,  to  France  another,  and  to  Austria  still  another ; 
but  sifted  of  every  side  issue,  it  may  be  reduced  to  this  :  the 
DRIVING  OF  THE  TURK  INTO  ASIA,  and  a  scramble  for  his  ter- 
ritory." 

Again  he  says : — 

"  Surely  the  indications  are  that  the  Sultan  is  destined 
soon  to  see  the  western  border  of  his  dominions  break  off, 
piece  by  piece.  But  what  will  follow?  Are  Roumania, 
Servia,  Bosnia,  and  Albania,  to  set  up  as  an  independent 
sovereignty  together,  and  take  position  among  the  nations  ? 
or  is  there  to  be  a  grand  rush  for  the  estate  of  the  Ottoman? 
But  that  is  of  the  future — a  future  not  far  distant. " 

Shortly  after  the  foregoing  extracts  were  written, 
an  astonishing  revolution  took  place,  in  Europe. 
France,  one  of  the  parties,  if  not  the  chief  one,  in 
the  alliance  to  uphold  the  Ottoman  throne,  was 
crushed  by  Prussia.  Prussia,  another  party,  was 
too  much  in  sympathy  with  Russia  to  interfere 
with  her  movements  against  the  Turk.  England, 
a  third,  in  an  embarrassed  condition  financially, 
could  riot  think  of  entering  into  any  contest  in  be- 
half of  Turkey,  without  the  alliance  of  France. 
Austria  had  not  recovered  from  the  blow  she  re- 
ceived in  her  late  war  with  Prussia ;  and  Italy  was 


CHAPTER  XI,   VERSE  45.  379 

busy  with  the  matter  of  stripping  the  pope  of  his 
temporal  power,  and  making  Rome  the  capital  of 
the  nation.  A  writer  in  the  N.  Y.  Tribune  re- 
marked that  if  Turkey  should  become  involved  in 
difficulty  with  Russia,  she  could  count  on  the 
prompt  "assistance  of  Austria,  France,  and  Eng- 
land." But  none  of  these  powers,  nor  any  others 
who  would  be  likely  to  assist  Turkey,  were  in  any 
condition  to  do  so,  owing  principally  to  the  sud- 
den and  unexpected  humiliation  of  the  French  na- 
tion. 

Russia  then  saw  that  her  opportunity  had  come. 
She  accordingly  startled  all  the  powers  of  Europe 
in  the  fall  of  the  same  memorable  year,  1870,  by 
stepping  forth  and  deliberately  announcing  that 
she  designed  to  regard  no  longer  the  stipulations  of 
the  treaty  of  1856.  This  treaty,  concluded  at  the 
termination  of  the  Crimean  war,  restricted  the 
warlike  operations  of  Russia  in  the  Black  Sea. 
But  Russia  must  have  the  privilege  of  using  those 
waters  for  military  purposes,  if  she  would  carry  out 
her  designs  against  Turkey ;  hence  her  determina- 
tion to  disregard  that  treaty  right  at  the  time  when 
none  of  the  powers  were  in  a  condition  to  enforce  it. 

The  ostensible  reason  urged  by  Russia,  for  her 
movements  in  this  direction,  was  that  she  might 
have  a  sea-front  and  harbors  in  a  warmer  climate 
than  the  shores  of  the  Baltic ;  but  the  real  design 
was  against  Turkey.  Thus  the  Churchman,  of 
Hartford,  Ct.,  in  an  able  article  on  the  present 
"  European  Medley,"  states  that  Russia  in  her  en- 


380  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

croachments  upon  Turkey,  is  not  merely  seeking  a 
sea  frontier,  and  harbors  lying  on  the  great  high- 
ways of  commerce,  unclosed  by  arctic  winters,  but 
that,  with  a  feeling  akin  to  that  which  inspired  the 
Crusades,  she  is  "  actuated  by  an  intense  desire  to 
drive  the  Crescent  from  the  soil  of  Europe!' 

This  desire  on  the  part  of  Russia,  has  been  cher- 
ished as  a  sacred  legacy  since  the  days  of  Peter  the 
Great.  That  famous  prince,  becoming  sole  emperor 
of  Russia  in  1688,  at  the  age  of  16,  enjoyed  a  pros- 
perous reign  of  thirty-seven  years,  to  1725,  and  left 
to  his  successors  a  celebrated  "  last  will  and  testa- 
ment," imparting  certain  important  instructions  for 
their  constant  observance.  The  9th  article  of  that 
will  enjoined  the  following  policy  : — 

"  To  take  every  possible  means  of  gaining  Con- 
stantinople and  the  Indies  (for  he  who  rules  there 
will  be  the  true  sovereign  of  the  world) ;  excite 
war  continually  in  Turkey  and  Persia  ;  establish 
fortresses  in  the  Black  Sea  ;  get  control  of  the  sea 
by  degrees,  and  also  of  the  Baltic,  which  is  a  double 
point,  necessary  to  the  realization  of  our  project ; 
accelerate  as  much  as  possible  the  decay  of  Persia ; 
penetrate  to  the  Persian  Gulf ;  re-establish,  if  pos- 
sible, by  the  way  of  Syria,  the  ancient  commerce  of 
the  Levant ;  advance  to  the  Indies,  which  are  the 
great  depot  of  the  world.  Once  there,  we  can  do 
without  the  gold  of  England." 

The  llth  article  reads:  "Interest  the  House  of 
Austria  in  the  expulsion  of  the  Turks  from  Europe, 
and  quiet  their  dissensions  at  the  moment  of  the 


CHAPTER  XI,  VERSE  45.  381 

conquest  of  Constantinople  (having  excited  war 
among  the  old  States  of  Europe),  by  giving  to 
Austria  a  portion  of  the  conquest,  which  after- 
ward will  or  can  be  reclaimed." 

The  following  facts  in  Russian  history  will  show 
how  persistently  this  line  of  policy  has  been  fol- 
lowed: "In  1696,  Peter  the  Great  wrested  the  Sea 
of  Azov  from  the  Turks  and  kept  it.  Next,  Cath- 
arine the  Great  won  the  Crimea,  In  1812,  by  the 
peace  of  Bucharest,  Alexander  I.  obtained  Moldavia, 
and  the  prettily-named  province  of  Bessarabia,  with 
its  apples,  peaches  and  cherries.  Then  came  the 
great  Nicholas,  who  won  the  right  of  the  free 
navigation  of  the  Black  Sea,  the  Dardanelles  and 
the  Danube,  but  whose  inordinate  greed  led  him 
into  the  Crimean  war,  by  which  he  lost  Moldavia, 
and  the  right  of  navigating  the  Danube,  and  the 
unrestricted  navigation  of  the  Black  Sea.  This 
was  no  doubt  a  severe  repulse  to  Russia,  but  it  did 
not  extinguish  the  designs  upon  the  Ottoman 
power,  nor  did  it  contribute  in  any  essential  degree 
to  the  stability  of  the  Ottoman  empire.  Patiently 
biding  her  time,  Russia  has  been  watching  and 
waiting,  and  in  1870,  when  all  the  western  nations 
were  watching  the  Franco-Prussian  war,  she  an- 
nounced to  the  Powers  that  she  would  be  no  longer 
bound  by  the  treaty  of  1856,  which  restricted  her 
use  of  the  Black  Sea ;  and  since  that  time  that  sea 
has  been,  as  it  was  one  thousand  years  ago,  to  all 
intents  and  purposes,  a  mare  Russicum" 

Napoleon  Bonaparte  well  understood  the  designs 


382  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

of  Russia,  and  the  importance  of  her  contemplated 
movements.  While  a  prisoner  on  the  island  of  St. 
Helena,  he  spoke  to  Governor  Hudson  as  follows : — 

"In  the  course  of  a  few  years,  Russia  will  have  Constantino- 
ple, part  of  Turkey,  and  all  Greece.  This  I  hold  ts>  be  as  cer- 
tain as  if  it  had  already  taken  place.  All  the  cojolery  and  flat- 
tery that  Alexander  practiced  upon  me  was  to  gain  my  con- 
sent to  effect  that  object.  I  would  not  give  it,  foreseeing 
that  the  equilibrium  of  Europe  would  be  destroyed.  Once 
mistress  of  Constantinople,  Russia  gets  all  the  commerce  of 
the  Mediterranean,  becomes  a  naval  power,  and  then  God 
knows  what  may  happen.  The  object  of  my  invasion  of 
Russia  was  to  prevent  this,  by  the  interposition  between  her 
and  Turkey  of  a  new  State  which  I  meant  to  call  into  ex- 
istence as  a  barrier  to  her  eastern  encroachments. " 

Kossuth,  also,  took  the  same  view  of  the  political 
board,  when  he  said :  "  In  Turkey  will  be  decided 
the  fate  of  the  world." 

The  words  of  Bonaparte  quoted  above  in  reference 
to  the  destruction  of  "the  equilibrium  of  Europe," 
reveals  the  motive  which  has  induced  the  great 
powers  to  tolerate  so  long  the  existence  on  the  con- 
tinent of  a  nation  which  is  false  in  religion,  desti- 
tute of  humanity,  and  a  disgrace  to  modern  civili- 
zation. Constantinople  is  regarded,  by  general 
consent,  as  the  grand  strategic  point  of  Europe,  and 
the  powers  have  each  sagacity  or  jealousy  enough 
to  see,  or  think  they  see,  the  fact  that  if  any  one  of 
the  European  powers  gains  permanent  possession  of 
that  point,  as  Russia  desires  to  do,  that  power  will 
be  able  to  dictate  terms  to  the  rest  of  Europe. 
This  position  none  of  the  powers  are  willing  that 


CHAPTER  XI,   VERSE  45.  383 

any  other  power  should  possess  ;  and  the  only  ap- 
parent way  to  prevent  it  is  for  them  all  to  combine, 
by  tacit  or  express  agreement,  to  keep  each  other 
out,  and  suffer  the  unspeakable  Turk  to  drag  along 
his  sickly  Asiatic  existence  on  the  soil  of  Europe. 
This  is  preserving  that  "balance  of  power"  over 
which  they  are  all  so  sensitive.  But  this  cannot 
always  continue.  "  He  shall  come  to  his  end  and 
none  shall  help  him."  The  sick  man  seems  deter- 
mined to  reduce  himself  most  speedily  to  that  de- 
gree of  putrefaction,  that  Europe  will  be  obliged  to 
drive  him  into  Asia,  as  a  matter  .of  safety  to  its  own 
civilization. 

When  Russia  in  1870  announced  her  intention  to 
disregard  the  treaty  of  1856,  the  other  powers, 
though  incapable  of  doing  anything,  nevertheless, 
as  was  becoming  their  ideas  of  their  own  impor- 
tance, made  quite  a  show  of  offended  dignity.  A 
congress  of  nations  was  demanded,  and  the  demand 
was  granted.  The  congress  was  held,  and  proved, 
as  everybody  expected  it  would  prove,  simply  a 
farce,  so  far  as  restraining  Russia  was  concerned. 
The  San  Francisco  Chronicle  of  March,  1871,  had 
this  paragraph  touching  "The  Eastern-Question 
Congress  " : — 

11  It  is  quite  evident  that,  as  far  as  directing  or  controlling 
the  action  of  the  Muscovite  government  is  concerned,  the 
Congress  is  little  better  than  a  farce.  England  originated 
the  idea  of  the  Congress,  simply  because  it  afforded  her  an 
opportunity  of  abandoning,  without  actual  dishonor,  a  posi- 
tion she  had  assumed  rather  too  hastily,  and  Russia  was 
complacent  enough  to  join  in  the  *  little  game,'  feeling  satis- 


THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 


fied  that  she  would  lose  nothing  by  her  courtesy.  Turkey 
is  the  only  aggrieved  party  in  this  dextrous  arrangement. 
She  is  left  face  to  face  with  her  hereditary  and  implacable 
enemy  ;  for  the  nations  that  previously  assisted  her,  ostensi- 
bly through  friendship  and  love  of  justice,  but  really  through 
motives  of  self-interest,  have  evaded  the  challenge  so  openly 
flung  into  the  arena  by  the  Northern  Colossus.  It  is  easy  to 
foresee  the  end  of  this  Conference.  Russia  will  get  all  she 
requires,  another  step  will  be  taken  toward  the  realization  of 
Peter  the  Great's  Will,  and  the  Sultan  will  receive  a  foretaste 
of  his  apparently  inevitable  doom — expulsion  from  Europe. " 

From  that  point,  the  smouldering  fires  of  the 
"  Eastern  Question  "  continued  to  agitate  and  alarm 
the  nations  'of  Europe  till  in  1877  the  flames  burst 
forth  anew.  On  the  24th  of  April  in  that  year 
Russia  declared  war  against  Turkey — ostensibly  to 
defend  the  Christians  against  the  inhuman  barbarity 
of  the  Turks — really,  to  make  another  trial  to  carry 
out  her  long-cherished  determination,  to  drive  the 
Turk  from  Europe.  The  events  and  the  results  of 
that  war  of  1877-8,  the  general  reader  will  at  this 
writing  (1881)  distinctly  remember.  It  was  evi- 
dent from  the  first  that  Turkey  was  overmatched. 
Russia  pushed  her  approaches  till  the  very  outposts 
of  Constantinople  were  occupied  by  her  forces.  But 
diplomacy  on  the  part  of  the  alarmed  nations  of 
Europe  again  stepped  in  to  suspend  for  awhile  the 
contest.  The  Berlin  congress  was  held,  Jan.  25, 1878. 
Turkey  agreed  to  sign  conditions  to  peace.  The 
conditions  were  that  the  straits  of  the  Dardanelles 
should  be  open  to  Russian  ships;  that  Russians 
should  occupy  Batoum,  Kars  and  Erzeroum ;  that 


•  CHAPTER  XI,  VERSE  45.  385 

Turkey  should  pay  Russia  £20,000,000  sterling,  as 
a  war  indemnity  ;  and  that  the  treaty  should  be 
signed  at  Constantinople.  In  making  this  an- 
nouncement, the  Allegemeine  Zeitung  added,  "  The 
eventual  entry  of  the  Russians  into  Constantinople 
cannot  longer  be  regarded  as  impracticable." 

The  Detroit  Evening  News  of  Feb.  20,  1878, 
said :  "  According  to  the  latest  version  of  the  peace 
conditions,  Turkey — besides  her  territorial  losses, 
and  the  surrender  of  a  few  iron-clads,  the  repairs  of 
the  mouth  of  the  Danube,  the  re-imbursement  of 
Russian  capital  invested  in  Turkish  securities,  the 
indemnity  to  Russian  subjects  in  Constantinople 
for  war  losses,  and  the  maintenance  of  about  100,- 
000  prisoners  of  war — will  have  to  pay  to  Russia  in 
round  figures  a  sum  equivalent  to  about  8552,000,000 
in  our  money.  The  unestimated  items  will  easily 
increase  this  to  six  hundred  millions.  With  her 
taxable  territory  reduced  almost  to  poverty-stricken 
Asia  Minor,  and  with  her  finances  at  present  in  a 
condition  of  absolute  chaos,  it  is  difficult  to  see 
where  she  is  going  to  get  the  money,  however 
ready  her  present  rulers  may  be  to  sign  the  con- 
tract." 

"  The  proposition  amounts  to  giving  the  Czar  a 
permanent  mortgage  on  the  whole  empire,  and  con- 
tains an  implied  threat  that  he  may  foreclose  at 
any  time,  by  the  seizure  of  the  remainder  of  Euro- 
pean Turkey.  In  this  last  aspect,  all  Europe  has  a 
vital  interest  in  the  matter,  and  particularly  Eng- 
land, even  if  the  conditions  were  not  in  themselves 

25 


386  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

calculated  to  drive  English  creditors  crazy,  by  de- 
stroying- their  last  hope  of  ever  getting  a  cent  of 
their  large  investments  in  Turkish  bonds.  It  makes 
Russia  a  preferred  creditor  of  the  bankrupt  Porte, 
with  the  additional  advantage  of  being  assignee  in 
possession,  leaving  creditors  with  prior  claims  out 
in  the  cold." 

The  following  paragraph  taken  from  the  Phila- 
delphia Public  Ledger,  August,  1878,  sets  forth  an 
instructive  and  very  suggestive  exhibit  of  the 
shrinkage  of  Turkish  territory  within  the  past 
sixty  years,  and  especially  as  the  result  of  the  late 
war: — 

"  Any  one  who  will  take  the  trouble  to  look  at  a  map  of 
Turkey  in  Europe  dating  back  about  sixty  years,  and  com- 
pare that  with  the  new  map  sketched  by  the  treaty  of  San 
Stefano  as  modified  by  the  Berlin  Congress,  will  be  able  to 
form  a  judgment  of  a  march  of  progress  that  is  pressing  the 
Ottoman  power  out  of  Europe.  Then,  the  northern  bound- 
ary of  Turkey  extended  to  the  Carpathian  Mountains,  and 
eastward  of  the  river  Sereth  it  embraced  Moldavia  as  far 
north  nearly  as  the  47th  degree  of  north  latitude.  That 
map  embraced  also  what  is  now  the  kingdom  'of  Greece.  It 
covered  all  of  Servia  and  Bosnia.  But  by  the  year  1830,  the 
northern  frontier  of  Turkey  was  driven  back  from  the  Car- 
pathians to  the  south  bank  of  the  Danube,  the  principali- 
ties of  Moldavia  and  Wallachia  being  emancipated  from 
Turkish  domination,  and  subject  only  to  the  payment  of  an 
annual  tribute  in  money  to  the  Porte.  South  of  the  Dan- 
ube, the  Servians  had  won  a  similar  emancipation  for  their 
country.  Greece  also  had  been  enabled  to  establish  her  in- 
dependence. Then,  as  recently,  the  Turk  was  truculent 
and  obstinate.  Russia  and  Great  Britain  proposed  to  make 
Greece  a  tributary  State,  retaining  the  sovereignty  of  the 


CHAPTER  XI,  VERSE  45.  3$? 

Porte.  This  was  refused,  and  the  result  was  the  utter  de- 
struction of  the  powerful  Turkish  fleet  at  Navarino,  and  the 
erection  of  the  independent  kingdom  of  Greece.  Thus 
Turkey  in  Europe  was  pressed  back  on  all  sides.  Now,  the 
northern  boundary,  which  was  so  recently  at  the  Danube, 
has  been  driven  south  to  the  Balkans.  Roumania  and 
Servia  have  ceased  even  to  be  tributary,  and  have  taken 
their  place  among  independent  States.  Bosnia  has  gone 
under  the  protection  of  Austria,  as  Roumania  did  under 
that  of  Russia,  in  1829.  l  Rectified  '  boundaries  give  Turk- 
ish territory  to  Servia,  Montenegro,  and  Greece.  Bulgaria 
takes  the  place  of  Roumania  as  a  self-governing  principality, 
having  no  dependence  on  the  Porte,  and  paying  only  an  an- 
nual tribute.  Even  south  of  the  Balkans  the  power  of  the 
Turk  is  crippled,  for  Roumelia  is  to  have  '  home  rule '  under 
a  Christian  governor.  And  so  again  the  frontier  of  Turkey 
in  Europe  is  pressed  back  on  all  sides,  until  the  territory 
left  is  but  the  shadow  of  what  it  was  sixty  years  ago.  To 
produce  this  result  has  been  the  policy  and  the  battle  of 
Russia  for  more  than  half  a  century ;  for  nearly  that  space 
of  time  it  has  been  the  struggle  of  some  of  the  other  '  pow- 
ers'  to  maintain  the  'integrity'  of  the  Turkish  empire. 
Which  policy  has  succeeded,  and  which  failed,  the  compar- 
ison of  maps  at  intervals  of  twenty-five  years  will  show. 
Turkey  in  Europe  has  been  shriveled  up  in  the  last  half 
century.  It  is  shrinking  back  and  back  toward  Asia,  and, 
though  all  the  '  powers '  but  Russia  should  unite  their  forces 
to  maintain  the  Ottoman  system  in  Europe,  there  is  a  man- 
ifest destiny  visible  in  the  history  of  the  last  fifty  years  that 
must  defeat  them." 

A  correspondent  of  the  Christian  Union,  writing 
from  Constantinople  under  date  of  Oct.  8,  1878, 
said : — 

"  When  we  consider  the  difficulties  which  now  beset  this 
feeble  and  tottering  government,  tJie  only  wonder  is  that  it 
can  stand  for  a  day.  Aside  from  the  funded  debt  of  $1,000,- 


388  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

000,000  upon  which  it  pays  no  interest,  it  has  an  enormous 
floating  debt  representing  all  the  expenses  of  the  war,  its 
employes  are  unpaid,  its  army  has  not  been  disbanded  or  even 
reduced,  and  its  paper  money  has  become  almost  worthless. 
The  people  have  lost  heart,  and  expect  every  day  some  new 
revolution  or  a  renewal  of  the  war.  The  government  does 
not  know  which  to  distrust  most,  its  friends  or  its  enemies. " 

Thus  all  evidence  goes  to  show  that  the  Turk 
must  soon  leave  Europe.  Where  will  he  then 
plant  the  tabernacles  of  his  palace  ?  In  Jerusalem  ? 
Tnat  certainly  is  the  most  probable  point.  Newton 
on  the  Prophecies,  p.  318,  says  :  "Between  the  seas 
in  the  glorious  holy  mountain,  must  denote,  as  we 
have  shown,  some  part  of  the  Holy  Land.  There 
the  Turk  shall  encamp  with  all  his  power,  yet  'he 
shall  come  to  his  end,  and  none  shall  help  him ' — 
shall  help  him  effectually,  or  deliver  him." 

Time  will  soon  determine  this  matter ;  and  it 
may  be  but  a  few  months.  And  when  this  takes 
place,  what  follows  ?  Events  of  the  most  moment- 
ous interest  to  all  the  inhabitants  of  this  world,  as 
the  next  chapter  immediately  shows. 


XII. 


CLOSING  SCENES. 

VERSE  1.  And  at  that  time  shall  Michael  stand  up,  the 
great  prince  which  standeth  for  the  children  of  thy  people  ; 
and  there  shall  be  a  time  of  trouble,  such  as  never  was  since 
there  was  a  nation  even  to  that  same  time  ;  and  at  that  time 
thy  people  shall  be  delivered,  every  one  that  shall  be  found 
written  in  the  book. 

A  definite  time  is  introduced  in  this  verse: 
"At  that  time."  What  time?  The  time  to  which 
we  are  brought  in  the  closing  verse  of  the  preced- 
ing chapter,  the  time  when  the  king  of  the  north 
shall  plant  the  tabernacles  of  his  palace  in  the  glo- 
rious holy  mountain ;  or,  in  other  words,  when  the 
Turk,  driven  from  Europe,  shall  hastily  make  Jeru- 
salem his  temporary  seat  of  government.  We  no- 
ticed in  remarks  upon  the  latter  portion  of  the  pre- 
ceding chapter  some  of  the  agencies  already  in  op- 
eration for  the  accomplishment  of  this  end,  and 
some  of  the  indications  that  the  Turks  will  very 
soon  be  obliged  to  make  this  move.  And  when 
this  event  takes  place,  then,  according  to  this  verse, 
we  look  for  the  standing  up  of  Michael,  the  great 
prince.  This  movement  on  the  part  of  Turkey  is 
the  signal  for  the  standing  up  of  Michael ;  that  is, 
it  marks  this  event  as  next  in  order.  And  to 

(389) 


390  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

guard  against  all  misunderstanding,  let  the  reader 
note  that  the  position  is  not  here  taken  that  the 
next  movement  against  the  Turks  will  drive  them 
from  Europe,  or  that  when  they  shall  establish 
their  capital  at  Jerusalem,  Christ  begins  his  reign 
without  the  lapse  of  a  day  or  an  hour  of  time.  But 
here  are  the  events,  to  come,  as  we  believe,  in  the 
following  order:  1.  Further  pressure  brought  to 
bear  in  some  way  upon  the  Turk.  2.  His  retire- 
ment from  Europe.  3.  His  final  stand  at  Jerusa- 
lem. 4.  The  standing  up  of  Michael,  or  the  begin- 
ning of  the  reign  of  Christ,  and  his  coming  in  the 
clouds  of  heaven.  And  it  is  not  reasonable  to  sup- 
pose that  any  great  amount  of  time  will  elapse 
between  these  events. 

Who,  then,  is  Michael  ?  and  what  is  his  standing 
up  ?  Michael  is  called,  in  Jude  9,  the  archangel. 
This  means  the  chief  angel,  or  the  head  over  the 
angels.  There  is  but  one.  Who  is  he  ?  He  is  the 
one  whose  voice  is  heard  from  Heaven  when  the 
dead  are  raised.  1  Thess.  4  : 16.  And  whose  voice 
is  heard  in  connection  with  that  event?  The  voice 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  John  5 : 28.  Tracing 
back  the  evidence  with  this  fact  as  a  basis,  we 
reach  the  following  conclusions :  The  voice  of  the 
Son  of  God  is  the  voice  of  the  archangel :  the  arch- 
angel, then,  is  the  Son  of  God.  But  the  archangel 
is  Michael ;  hence  Michael  is  also  the  Son  of  God. 
But  the  expression  of  Daniel,  "the  great  prince 
which  standeth  for  the  children  of  thy  people,"  is 
alone  sufficient  to  identify  the  one  here  spoken  of 


CHAPTER  XII,   VEliSE  1. 


as  the  Saviour  of  men.  He  is  the  Prince  of  life  ; 
Acts  3  :  15  ;  and  God  hath  exalted  him  to  be  a 
"Prince  and  a  Saviour."  Acts  5:31.  He  is  the 
great  Prince.  There  is  no  one  greater  save  the 
sovereign  Father. 

And  he  standeth  for  the  children  of  thy  people. 
He  condescends  to  take  the  servants  of  God  in  this 
poor  mortal  state,  and  redeem  them  for  the  subjects 
of  his  future  kingdom.  He  stands  for  us.  We  are 
essential  to  his  future  purposes,  an  inseparable  part 
of  the  purchased  inheritance  ;  and  we  are  to  be  the 
chief  agents  of  that  joy  in  view  of  which  Christ 
endured  all  the  sacrifice  and  suffering  which  has 
marked  his  intervention  in  behalf  of  the  fallen 
race.  Amazing  honor!  Be  everlasting  gratitude 
repaid  him  for  his  cpndescension  and  mercy  unto 
us.  Be  his  the  kingdom,  power,  and  glory,  forever 
and  ever. 

We  now  come  to  the  second  question,  What  is 
the  standing  up  of  Michael  ?  The  key  to  the  in- 
terpretation of  this  expression  is  furnished  us  in 
verses  2  and  3  of  chapter  11.  "  There  shall  stand 
up  yet  three  kings  in  Persia;"  "a  mighty  king 
shall  stand  up  that  shall  reign  with  great  domin- 
ion." There  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  the  meaning  of 
these  expressions  in  these  instances.  They  mean,  to 
take  the  kingdom,  to  reign.  The  same  expression 
in  the  verse  under  consideration  must  mean  the 
same.  At  that  time,  Michael  shall  stand  up,  shall 
take  the  kingdom,  shall  commence  his  reign. 

But  is  not  Christ  reigning  now  ?     Yes,  associated 


392  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

with  his  Father  on  the  throne  of  universal  do- 
minion. Eph.  1:20-22;  Rev.  3:21.  But  this 
throne  or  kingdom  he  gives  up  at  the  end  of  this 
dispensation ;  2  Cor.  15 : 24 ;  and  then  he  com- 
mences his  reign  brought  to  view  in  the  text,  when 
he  stands  up,  or  takes  his  own  kingdom,  the  long- 
promised  throne  of  his  father  David,  and  establishes 
a  dominion  of  which  there  shall  be  no  end.  Luke 
1 : 32,  33. 

Into  an  examination  of  all  the  events  that  con- 
stitute, or  are  inseparably  connected  with,  this 
change  in  the  position  of  our  Lord,  it  is  not  neces- 
sary that  we  here  enter.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  then 
the  kingdoms  of  this  world  become  the  kingdom  of 
our  Lord  and  of  his  Christ.  His  priestly  robes  are 
laid  aside  for  royal  vesture.  The  work  of  mercy 
is  done,  and  the  probation  of  our  race  is  ended. 
Then  he  that  is  filthy  is  beyond  the  hope  of  recov- 
ery ;  and  he  that  is  holy  is  beyond  the  danger  of 
falling.  All  cases  are  decided.  And  from  that 
time  on,  till  the  terrified  nations  behold  the  majes- 
tic form  of  their  insulted  King  in  the  clouds  of 
heaven,  the  nations  are  broken  as  with  a  rod  of 
iron,  and  dashed  in  pieces  like  a  potter's  vessel,  by 
a  time  of  trouble  such  as  never  was,  a  series  of 
judgments  unparalleled  in  the  world's  history, 
culminating  in  the  revelation  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  from  heaven  in  flaming  fire  to  take  ven- 
geance on  them  that  know  not  God,  and  obey  not 
the  gospel. 

Thus  momentous  are  the  events  introduced   by 


CHAPTER  XII,  VERSE  1.  393 

the  standing  up  of  Michael.  And  he  thus  stands 
up,  or  takes  the  kingdom,  marking  the  introduction 
of  this  decisive  period  in  human  history,  for  some 
length  of  time  before  he  returns  personally  to  this 
earth.  How  important,  then,  that  we  have  a 
knowledge  of  his  position,  to  be  able  to  trace  the 
progress  of  his  work,  and  understand  when  that 
thrilling  moment  draws  near  which  ends  his  inter- 
cession in  behalf  of  mankind,  and  fixes  our  destiny 
forever. 

But  how  are  we  to  know  this  ?  How  are  we  to 
determine  what  is  transpiring  in  the  far  off  Heaven 
of  heavens,  in  the  sanctuary  above  ?  God  has  been 
so  good  as  to  place  the  means  of  knowing  this  in 
our  hands.  When  certain  great  events  transpire  on 
earth,  he  has  told  us  what  events,  synchronizing 
with  them,  transpire  in  Heaven.  By  things  which 
are  seen,  we  thus  learn  of  things  that  are  unseen. 
As  we  "  look  through  nature  up  to  nature's  God," 
so  through  terrestrial  phenomena  and  mundane 
movements  we  trace  the  occurrence  of  heavenly 
scenes.  When  the  king  of  the  north  plants  the 
tabernacles  of  his  palace  between  the  seas  in  the 
glorious  holy  mountain,  a  movement  for  which  we 
already  see  the  preparatory  steps,  then  Michael,  our 
Lord,  stands  up,  or  receives  from  his  Father  the 
kingdom,  preparatory  to  his  return  to  this  earth. 
Or  it  might  have  been  expressed  in  words  like 
these :  Then  our  Lord  ceases  his  work  as  our  great 
High  Priest,  and  the  probation  of  the  race  is  fin- 
ished. The  great  prophecy  of  the  2300  days  gives 


394  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

us  definitely  the  commencement  of  the  final  divis- 
ion of  the  work  in  the  sanctuary  in  Heaven.  The 
verse  before  us  gives  us  data  whereby  we  can  dis- 
cover approximately  the  time  of  its  close. 

In  connection  with  the  standing  up  of  Michael, 
there  occurs  a  time  of  trouble  such  as  never  was. 
In  Matt.  24 : 21,  we  read  of  a  period  of  tribulation 
such  as  never  was  before  it,  nor  should  be  after  it. 
This  tribulation,  fulfilled  in  the  oppression  and 
slaughter  of  the  church  by  the  papal  power,  is  al- 
ready past;  while  the  time  of  trouble  of  Dan. 
12:1,  is,  according  to  the  view  we  take,  still  fut- 
ure. How  can  there  be  two  times  of  trouble 
many  years  apart,  each  of  them  greater  than  any 
that  had  been  before  it,  or  should  be  after  it  ?  To 
avoid  difficulty  here,  let  this  distinction  be  care- 
fully noticed:  The  tribulation  spoken  of  in  Mat- 
thew is  tribulation  upon  the  church.  Christ  is 
speaking  to  his  disciples,  and  of  his  disciples  in 
coming  time.  They  were  the  ones  involved  in 
that  trouble,  and  for  their  sake,  the  days  of  tribu- 
lation were  to  be  shortened.  Verse  22.  Whereas 
the  time  of  trouble  in  Daniel  is  not  a  time  of 
religious  persecution,  but  of  national  calamity. 
There  has  been  nothing  like  it  since  there  was 
(not  a  church,  bufr)  a  nation.  This  comes  upon  the 
world.  This  is  the  last  trouble  to  come  upon  the 
world  in  its  present  state.  In  Matthew  there  is 
reference  made  to  time  beyond  that  tribulation ;  for 
there  was  never  to  be  any  like  that  upon  the  peo- 
ple of  God  in  the  future,  after  that  was  past.  But 


CHAPTER  XII,  VERSE  2.  395 

there  is  no  reference  here  in  Daniel  to  future  time, 
after  the  trouble  here  mentioned;  for  that  closes 
up  the  world's  history.  It  includes  the  seven  last 
plagues  of  Rev.  16,  and  culminates  in  the  revela- 
tion of  the  Lord  Jesus,  coming  upon  his  pathway 
of  clouds  in  naming  fire,  to  visit  destruction  upon 
his  enemies  who  would  not  have  him  to  reign  over 
them.  But  out  of  this  tribulation  every  one  shall 
be  delivered  who  shall  be  found  written  in  the 

book — the  book  of  life ;  "  for  in  Mount  Zion 

shall  be  deliverance,  as  the  Lord  hath  said,  and  .in 
the  remnant  whom  the  Lord  shall  call."  Joel  2 : 32. 

VERSE  2.  And  many  of  them  that  sleep  in  the  dust  of  the 
earth  shall  awake,  some  to  everlasting  life,  and  some  to 
shame  and  everlasting  contempt. 

This  verse  also  shows  how  momentous  a  pejiod  is 
introduced  by  the  standing  up  of  Michael,  or  the 
commencement  of  the  reign  of  Christ,  as  set  forth 
in  the  first  verse  of  this  chapter ;  for  the  event 
here  described  in  explicit  terms  is  a  resurrection  of 
the  dead.  Is  this  the  general  resurrection  which 
takes  place  at  the  second  coming  of  Christ  ?  or,  is 
there  to  intervene  between  Christ's  reception  of  the 
kingdom  and  his  revelation  to  earth,  Luke  19  : 12, 
in  all  his  advent  glory,  a  special  resurrection  an- 
swering to  the  description  here  given?  One  of 
these  it  must  be ;  for  every  declaration  of  Scripture 
will  be  fulfilled. 

Why  may  it  not  be  the  former,  or  the  resurrec- 
tion which  occurs  at  the  last  trump  ?  Answer. 
Because  those  who  are  then  raised  are  all  righteous. 


396  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

.  Those  who  sleep  in  Christ  then  come  forth ;  but  the 
rest  of  the  dead  live  not  again  for  a  thousand  years. 
Rev.  20 :  5.  So  then  the  general  resurrection  of  the 
whole  race  is  comprised  in  two  grand  divisions,  first, 
of  the  righteous  exclusively,  at  the  coming  of  Christ ; 
secondly,  of  the  wicked  exclusively,  a  thousand 
years  thereafter.  The  general  resurrection  is  not  a 
mixed  resurrection.  The  righteous  and  wicked  do 
not  come  up  promiscuously  at  the  same  time.  But 
each  of  these  two  classes  is  set  off  by  itself,  and  the 
time  which  elapses  between  their  respective  resur- 
rections, is  plainly  stated  to  be  a  thousand  years. 

But  in  the  resurrection  brought  to  view  in  the 
verse  before  us,  both  righteous  and  wicked  come  up 
together.  It  cannot  therefore  be  the  first  resurrec- 
tion, which  includes  the  righteous  only,  nor  the 
second,  which  is  as  distinctly  confined  to  the 
wicked.  If  the  text  read,  Many  of  them  that  sleep 
in  the  dust  of  the  earth  shall  awake  to  everlasting 
life,  then  the  "  many  "  might  be  interpreted  as  in- 
cluding all  the  righteous,  and  the  resurrection  be 
that  of  the  just  at  the  second  coming  of  Christ. 
But  the  fact  that  some  of  the  many  are  wicked, 
and  rise  to  shame  and  everlasting  contempt,  bars 
the  way  to  such  an  application. 

It  may  be  objected  that  this  text  does  not  affirm 
the  awakening  of  any  but  the  righteous,  according 
to  the  translation  of  Bush  and  Whiting ;  namely, 
"  And  many  of  them  that  sleep  in  the  dust  of  the 
earth  shall  awake,  these  to  everlasting  life,  and 
those  to  shame  and  everlasting  contempt."  It  will 


CHAPTER  XII,  VERSE  2.  397 

be  noticed  first  of  all,  thafe  this  translation  (which 
we  by  no  means  hold  above  criticism)  proves  noth- 
ing till  the  evident  ellipsis  is  supplied.  This  ellip- 
sis some,  therefore,  undertake  to  supply  as  follows : 
"  And  many  of  them  that  sleep  in  the  dust  of  the 
earth  shall  awake,  these  [the  awakened  ones]  to 
everlasting  life,  and  those  [the  unawakened  ones]  to 
shame  and  everlasting  contempt."  It  will  be 
noticed  again  that  this  does  not  supply  the  ellipsis 
but  only  adds  a  comment,  which  is  a  very  different 
thing.  To  supply  the  ellipsis  is  simply  to  insert 
those  words  which  are  necessary  to  complete  the 
sentence.  "  Many  of  them  that  sleep  in  the  dust  of 
the  earth  shall  awake "  is  a  complete  sentence. 
The  subject  and  predicate  are  both  expressed.  The 
next  member,  "  Some  [or  these]  to  everlasting  life," 
is  not  complete.  What  is  wanted  to  complete  it  ? 
Not  a  comment  giving  some  one's  opinion  of  who  is 
intended  by  "these,"  but  a  verb  of  which  these 
shall  be  the  subject.  What  verb  shall  it  be?  This 
must  be  determined  by  the  preceding  portion  of  the 
sentence  which  is  complete,  where  the  verb  "shall 
awake "  is  used.  This,  then,  is  the  predicate  to  be 
supplied  :  "  Some  [or  these]  shall  awake  to  everlast- 
ing life."  Applying  the  same  remarks  to  the  next 
member,  "  Some  [or  those]  to  shame  and  everlasting 
contempt,"  which  is  not  in  itself  a  complete  sentence, 
we  find  ourselves  obliged  to  supply  the  same  words, 
and  read  it,  "  Some  [or  those]  shall  awake  to  shame 
and  everlasting  contempt."  Anything  less  than  this 
will  not  complete  the  sense,  and  anything  different 


398  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

will  pervert  the  text ;  for  a  predicate  to  be  supplied 
cannot  go  beyond  a  predicate  already  expressed. 
The  affirmation  made  in  the  text  pertains  only  to 
the  many  who  awake.  Nothing  is  affirmed  of  the 
rest  who  do  not  then  awake.  And  to  say  that  the 
expression  "  to  shame  and  everlasting  contempt "  ap- 
plies to  them,  when  nothing  is  affirmed  of  them,  is 
not  only  to  outrage  the  sense  of  the  passage,  but  the 
laws  of  language  as  well.  And  of  the  many  who 
awake,  some  come  forth  to  everlasting  life,  and  some 
to  shame  and  everlasting  contempt,  which  further 
proves  a  resurrection  to  consciousness  for  these  also  ; 
for  while  contempt  may  be  felt  and  manifested  by 
others  toward  those  who  are  guilty,  shame  can  be 
felt  and  manifested  only  by  the  guilty  parties  them- 
selves. This  resurrection,  therefore,  as  already 
shown,  comprises  some  of  both  righteous  and  wicked, 
and  cannot  be  the  general  resurrection  at  the  last 
day. 

Is  there,  then,  any  place  for  a  special  or  limited 
resurrection,  or  elsewhere  any  intimation  of  such  an 
event,  before  the  Lord  appears  ?  The  resurrection 
here  predicted  takes  place  when  God's  people  are  de- 
livered from  the  great  time  of  trouble  with  which 
the  history  of  this  world  terminates  ;  and  it  seems, 
from  Rev.  22  : 11,  that  this  deliverance  is  given  be- 
fore the  Lord  appears.  The  awful  moment  arrives 
when  he  that  is  filthy  and  unjust  is  pronounced  un- 
just still,  and  he  that  is  righteous  and  holy  is  pro- 
nounced holy  still.  Then  the  cases  of  all  are  forever 
decided.  And  when  this  sentence  is  pronounced 


CHAPTER  XII,  VERSE  f.  399 

upon  the  righteous,  it  must  be  deliverance  to  them ; 
for  then  they  are  placed  beyond  all  reach  of  danger, 
or  fear  of  evil.  But  the  Lord  has  not  yet  made  his 
appearance ;  for  he  immediately  adds,  "  And,  behold, 
I  come  quickly."  The  utterance  of  this  solemn  fiat 
which  seals  the  righteous  to  everlasting  life,  and  the 
wicked  to  eternal  death,  is  supposed  to  be  synchro- 
nous with  the  great  voice  which  is  heard  from  the 
throne  in  the  temple  of  Heaven,  saying,  It  is  done  ! 
And  this  is  evidently  the  voice  of  God  so  frequently 
alluded  to  in  descriptions  of  the  scenes  connected 
with  the  last  day.  Joel  speaks  of  it,  and  says: 
"  The  Lord  also  shall  roar  out  of  Zion,  and  utter  his 
voice  from  Jerusalem  ;  and  the  heavens  and  the 
earth  shall  shake  :  but  the  Lord  will  be  the  hope  of 
his  people,  and  the  strength  of  the  children  of  Israel." 
The  margin  reads  instead  of  "  hope,"  "  place  of  re- 
pair, or  harbor."  Then,  at  this  time,  when  God's 
voice  is  heard  from  Heaven,  just  previous  to  the 
coming  of  the  Son  of  man,  God  is  a  harbor  for  his 
people,  or,  which  is  the  same  thing,  provides  them 
deliverance.  Here,  then,  at  the  voice  of  God  when 
the  decisions  of  eternity  are  pronounced  upon  the 
race,  and  the  last  stupendous  scene  is  just  to  open 
upon  a  doomed  world,  God  gives  to  the  astonished 
nations  another  evidence  and  pledge  of  his  power, 
and  raises  from  the  dead  a  multitude  who  have  long 
slept  in  the  dust  of  the  earth. 

Thus  we  see  that  there  is  a  time  and  place  for  the 
resurrection  of  Dan.  12  : 2.  We  now  add  that  a 
passage  in  the  book  of  Revelation  makes  it  necessary 


400  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

to  suppose  a  resurrection  of  this  kind  to  take  place. 
Rev.  1  : 7,  reads  :  "  Behold,  he  cometh  with  clouds 
[this  is  unquestionably  the  second  advent] ;  and  every 
eye  shall  see  him  [of  the  nations  then  living  on  the 
earth],  and  they  also  which  pierced  him  [those  who 
were  the  actors  in  his  crucifixion]  ;  and  all  kindreds 
of  the  earth  shall  wail  because  of  him."  Those  who 
crucified  the  Lord,  would,  unless  there  was  an  ex- 
ception made  in  their  cases,  remain  in  their  graves 
till  the  end  of  the  thousand  years,  and  come  up  in 
the  general  assembly  of  the  wicked  at  that  time. 
But  here  it  is  stated  that  they  behold  the  Lord  at  his 
second  advent.  They  must  therefore  have  a  special 
resurrection  for  that  purpose. 

And  it  is  certainly  most  appropriate  that  some, 
eminent  in  holiness,  who  have  labored  and  suffered 
for  their  hope  of  a  coming  Saviour,  but  died  without 
the  sight,  should  be  raised  a  little  before,  to  witness 
the  scenes  attending  his  glorious  epiphany ;  as,  in  like 
manner,  a  goodly  company  came  out  of  their  graves 
after  his  resurrection  to  behold  his  risen  glory,  and  to 
escort  him  in  triumph  to  the  right  hand  of  the  throne 
of  the  Majesty  on  high  ;  and  also  that  some,  eminent 
in  wickedness,  who  have  done  most  to  reproach  the 
name  of  Christ  and  injure  his  cause,  and  especially 
those  who  secured  his  cruel  death  upon  the  cross,  and 
mocked  and  derided  him  in  his  dying  agonies,  should 
be  raised  as  part  of  their  judicial  punishment,  to  be- 
hold his  return  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  a  celestial 
victor,  in,  to  them,  unendurable  majesty  and  splendor. 

One  more  remark  upon  this  text  before  we  leave 


CHAPTER  XII,    VERSE  3.  401 

it.  It  is  supposed  by  some  to  furnish  good  evidence 
of  the  eternal  conscious  suffering  of  the  wicked,  be- 
cause those  of  this  character  who  are  spoken  of,  come 
forth  to  shame  and  everlasting  contempt.  How  can 
they  forever  suffer  these,  unless  they  are  forever  con- 
scious ?  It  has  already  been  stated  that  shame  im- 
plies their  consciousness ;  but  it  will  be  noticed  that 
this  is  not  said  to  be  everlasting.  This  qualifying 
word  is  not  inserted  till  we  come  to  the  contempt, 
which  is  an  emotion  felt  by  others  toward  the  guilty 
parties,  and  does  not  render  necessary  the  conscious- 
ness of  those  against  whom  it  is  directed.  And  so 
some  read  the  passage  :  "  Some  to  shame  and  the 
everlasting  contempt  of  their  companions."  And  so 
it  will  be.  Shame  for  their  wickedness  and  corrup- 
tion will  burn  into  their  very  souls,  so  long  as  they 
have  conscious  being.  And  when  they  pass  away, 
consumed  for  their  iniquities,  their  loathsome  char- 
acters and  their  guilty  deeds  excite  only  contempt  on 
the  part  of  all  the  righteous,  unmodified  and  un- 
abated so  long  as  they  hold  them  hi  remembrance  at 
all.  The  text,  therefore,  furnishes  no  proof  of  the 
eternal  suffering  of  the  wicked. 

VERSE  3.  And  they  that  be  wise  shall  shine  as  the  bright- 
ness of  the  firmament ;  and  they  that  turn  many  to  right- 
eousness, as  the  stars  forever  and  ever. 

The  margin  reads  "teachers  "  in  place  of  "wise:" 
And  they  that  be  teachers  shall  shine  as  the  bright- 
ness of  the  firmament ;  that  is,  of  course,  those  who 
teach  the  truth  and  lead  others  to  a  knowledge  of  it, 

just  previous  to  the  time  when  the  events  recorded 

26 


4Q2  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

in  the  foregoing  verses  are  to  be  fulfilled.  And  as 
the  world  estimates  loss  and  profit,  it  costs  something 
to  be  teachers  of  these  things  in  these  days.  It  costs 
reputation,  ease,  comfort,  and  often  property ;  it  in- 
volves labors,  crosses,  sacrifices,  loss  of  friendship,  rid- 
icule, and  not  unfrequently,  persecution.  And  the 
question  is  often  asked,  How  can  you  afford  it  ? 
How  can  you  afford  to  keep  the  Sabbath,  and  per- 
haps lose  a  situation,  reduce  your  income,  or  it 
may  be  even  hazard  your  means  of  support  ?  Oh ! 
blind,  deluded,  sordid  question  !  Make  obedience  to 
what  God  requires  a  matter  of  pecuniary  consid- 
eration !  How  unlike  is  this  to  the  noble  martyrs 
who  loved  not  their  lives  unto  the  death  !  No,  the 
affording  is  all  on  the  other  side.  When  God 
commands,  we  cannot  afford  to  disobey.  And  if  we 
are  asked,  How  can  you  afford  to  keep  the  Sabbath? 
we  have  only  to  ask  in  reply,  How  can  you  afford 
not  to  do  it  ?  And  in  the  coming  day,  when  those 
who  have  sought  to  save  their  lives  shall  lose  them, 
and  those  who  have  been  willing  to  hazard  all  for 
the  sake  of  truth  and  its  divine  Lord,  shall  receive 
the  glorious  reward  promised  in  the  text,  and  be 
raised  up  to  shine  as  the  firmament  and  the  imper- 
ishable stars  forever  and  ever,  it  will  then  be  seen 
who  have  been  wise,  and  who,  on  the  contrary,  have 
made  the  choice  of  blindness  and  folly.  The  wicked 
and  worldly  now  look  upon  Christians  as  fools  and 
madmen,  and  congratulate  themselves  upon  their  su- 
perior shrewdness  in  shunning  what  they  call  their 
folly,  and  avoiding  their  losses.  We  need  make  no 


CHAPTER  XII,   VERSE  4.  403 

• 

. 

response ;  for  those  who  now  render  this  decision  will 
soon  themselves  reverse  it,  and  that  with  terrible 
though  unavailing  earnestness. 

VERSE  4.  But  thou,  O  Daniel,  shut  up  the  words,  and  seal 
the  book,  even  to  the  time  of  the  end ;  many  shall  run  to 
and  fro,  and  knowledge  shall  be  increased. 

The  "words"  and  the  "book"  here  spoken  of, 
doubtless  refer  to  the  things  which  had  been  re- 
vealed to  Daniel  in  this  prophecy.  These  things 
were  to  be  shut  up  and  sealed,  until  the  time  of  the 
end;  that  is,  not  to  be  specially  studied,  or  to  any  great 
extent  understood,  till  that  time.  The  time  of  the 
end,  as  has  already  been  shown,  commenced  in  1798. 
As  the  book  was  closed  up  and  sealed  to  that  time, 
the  plain  inference  is  that  at  that  time,  or  from  that 
point,  the  book  would  be  unsealed,  and  people  would 
have  their  attention  specially  called  to  this  part  of 
the  inspired  word.  Of  what  has  been  done  on  the 
subject  of  prophecy  since  that  time,  it  is  unnecessary 
to  remind  the  reader.  The  prophecies,  especially 
Daniel's  prophecy,  have  been  under  examination  by 
all  students  of  the  word,  wherever  civilization  has 
spread  abroad  its  light  upon  the  earth.  And  so  the 
remainder  of  the  verse,  being  a  prediction  of  what 
should  take  place  after  the  time  of  the  end  com- 
menced, says,  "Many  shall  run  to  and  fro,  and 
knowledge  shall  be  increased."  Whether  this  run- 
ning to  and  fro  refers  to  the  passing  of  people  from 
place  to  place,  and  the  great  improvements  in  the 
facilities  for  transportation  and  travel,  made  within 
the  last  half  century,  or  whether  it  means,  as  some 


THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 


understand  it,  a  turning  to  and  fro  in  the  proph- 
ecies, that  is,  a  diligent  and  earnest  search  into  pro- 
phetic truth,  the  fulfillment  is  certainly  and  surely 
before  our  eyes.  It  must  have  its  application  in  one 
of  these  two  ways  ;  and  in  both  these  directions  the 
present  age  is  very  strongly  marked. 

So  of  the  increase  of  knowledge.  It  must  refer 
either  to  the  increase  of  knowledge  in  general,  the 
development  of  the  arts  and  sciences,  or  an  increase 
of  knowledge  in  reference  to  those  things  revealed 
to  Daniel,  which  were  closed  up  and  sealed  to  the 
time  of  the  end.  Here  again,  apply  it  which  way 
we  will,  the  fulfillment  is  most  marked  and  complete. 
Look  at  the  marvelous  achievements  of  the  human 
mind,  and  the  cunning  works  of  men's  hands,  rival- 
ing the  magician's  wildest  dreams,  which  have  been 
accomplished  within  the  last  fifty  years.  It  was  re- 
cently stated  in  the  Scientific  American  that  more 
advancement  had  been  made  in  all  scientific  attain- 
ments, and  more  progress  in  all  that  tends  to  domes- 
tic comfort,  the  rapid  transaction  of  business  among 
men,  and  the  transmission  of  intelligence  from  one 
to  another,  than  all  that  was  done  for  three  thou- 
sand years  previous,  put  together.  Or,  on  the  other 
hand,  look  at  the  wonderful  light  which,  within  the 
past  thirty  years,  has  shone  upon  the  Scriptures. 
The  fulfillment  of  prophecy  has  been  shown  in  the 
light  of  history.  Applications  are  made  which  are 
beyond  dispute,  showing  that  the  end  of  all  things 
is  near.  Truly  the  seal  has  been  taken  from  the 
book,  and  knowledge  respecting  what  God  has  re- 


CHAPTER  XII,    VERSES  5-7.  4Q5 

vealed  in  his  word,  is  wonderfully  increased.  We 
think  it  is  in  this  respect  that  the  prophecy  is  more 
especially  fulfilled. 

That  we  are  in  the  time  of  the  end  when  the  book 
of  this  prophecy  should  no  longer  be  sealed,  but  be 
open  and  understood,  is  shown  by  Rev.  10  : 1,  2, 
where  a  mighty  angel  is  seen  to  come  down  from 
Heaven  with  a  little  book  in  his  hand  open.  For 
proof  that  the  little  book,  there  said  to  be  open,  is 
the  book  here  closed  up  and  sealed,  and  that  that 
angel  delivers  his  message  in  this  generation,  see 
"  Thoughts  on  Revelation,"  10  :  2. 

VERSE  5.  Then  I  Daniel  looked,  and,  behold,  there  stood 
other  two,  the  one  on  this  side  of  the  bank  of  the  river,  and 
the  other  on  that  side  of  the  bank  of  the  river.  6.  And  one 
said  to  the  man  clothed  in  linen,  which  was  upon  the  waters 
of  the  river,  How  long  shall  it  be  to  the  end  of  these  won- 
ders ?  7.  And  I  heard  the  man  clothed  in  linen,  which  was 
upon  the  waters  of  the  river,  when  he  held  up  his  right  hand 
and  his  left  hand  unto  heaven,  and  sware  by  Him  that  liveth 
forever,  that  it  shall  be  for  a  time,  times,  and  an  half ;  and 
when  he  shall  have  accomplished  to  scatter  the  power  of  the 
.holy  people,  all  these  things  shall  be  finished. 

The  question,  "  How  long  shall  it  be  to  the  end  of 
these  wonders  ? "  undoubtedly  has  reference  to  all 
that  has  previously  been  mentioned,  including  the 
standing  up  of  Michael,  the  time  of  trouble,  the  de- 
liverance of  God's  people,  and  the  special  and  ante- 
cedent resurrection  of  verse  1.  And  the  answer 
seems  to  be  given  in  two  divisions  :  First,  a  specific 
prophetic  period  is  marked  off ;  and,  secondly,  an  in- 
definite period  follows  before  the  conclusion  of  all 


406  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

these  things  is  reached;  just  as  we  have  it  in  chap. 
8  : 13,  14.  When  the  question  was  asked,  "  How 
long  the  vision,  ....  to  give  both  the  sanctuary 
and  the  host  to  be  trodden  under  foot  ?  "  the  answer 
was,  a  definite  period  of  2300  days,  and  then  an  in- 
definite period  of  the  cleansing  of  the  sanctuary.  So 
in  the  text  before  us,  we  have  the  period  of  a  time, 
times,  and  a  half,  given,  or  1260  years,  and  then  an 
indefinite  period  of  a  continuance  of  the  scattering 
of  the  power  of  the  holy  people,  before  the  consum- 
mation. 

The  1260  years  mark  the  period  of  papal  suprem- 
acy. Why  is  this  period  here  introduced  ?  Prob- 
ably because  this  power  is  the  one  which  does  more 
than  any  other  in  the  world's  history,  toward  scat- 
tering the  power  of  the  holy  people,  or  oppressing 
the  church  of  God.  But  what  shall  we  understand 
by  the  expression,  "  Shall  have  accomplished  to  scat- 
ter the  power  of  the  holy  people  "  ?  A  literal  trans- 
lation of  the  Septuagint  seems  to  present  it  in  a 
clearer  light :  "  When  he  shall  have  finished  the  scat- 
tering of  the  power  of  the  holy  people."  To  whom 
does  the  pronoun  "  he  "  refer  ?  According  to  the 
wording  of  this  scripture,  the  antecedent  would  at 
first  sight  seem  to  be  "  Him  that  liveth  forever,"  or 
Jehovah ;  but,  as  an  eminent  expositor  of  the  proph- 
ecies judiciously  remarks,  in  considering  the  pro- 
nouns of  the  Bible,  we  are  to  interpret  them  accord- 
ing to  the  facts  of  the  case  ;  and  hence  must  fre- 
quently refer  them  to  an  antecedent  understood, 
rather  than  to  some  noun  which  is  expressed.  So, 


CHAPTER  XII,  VERSE  5-7.  407 

here,  the  little  horn,  or  man  of  sin,  having  been  in- 
troduced by  the  particular  mention  of  the  time  of 
his  supremacy,  namely,  1260  years,  may  be  the 
power  referred  to  by  the  pronoun  "he."  For  1260 
years  he  had  grievously  oppressed  the  church,  or 
scattered  its  power.  After  his  supremacy  is  taken 
away,  his  disposition  toward  the  truth  and  its  advo- 
cates still  remains,  and  his  power  is  still  felt  to  a  cer- 
tain extent,  and  he  continues  his  work  of  oppression 
just  as  far  as  he  is  able,  till — when  ?  Till  the  last 
of  the  events  brought  to  view  in  verse  1,  the  deliver- 
ance of  God's  people,  every  one  that  is  found  written 
in  the  book.  Being  thus  delivered,  persecuting 
powers  are  no  longer  able  to  oppress  them,  their 
power  is  no  longer  scattered,  the  end  of  the  wonders 
brought  to  view  in  this  great  prophecy  is  reached, 
and  all  its  predictions  are  accomplished. 

Or,  we  may  refer  the  pronoun  "  he "  to  the  one 
mentioned  in  the  oath  of  verse  7,  as  "  Him  that  li v- 
eth  forever/'  that  is,  God,  without  particularly 
altering  the  sense,  since  he  permits  the  agency  of 
earthly  powers  in  chastising  and  disciplining  his  peo- 
ple, and  in  that  sense  may  be  said  himself  to  scatter 
their  power.  By  his  prophet  he  said  concerning  the 
kingdom,  "/  will  overturn,  overturn,  overturn 
it,  ....  until  He  come  whose  right  it  is."  Eze.  21 : 
27.  And  again,  "  Jerusalem  shall  be  trodden  down 
of  the  Gentiles  until  the  times  of  the  Gentiles  be  ful- 
filled." Luke  21 : 24.  Of  like  import  is  the  proph- 
ecy of  Dan.  8:13:  "How  long  the  vision  .  ...  to 
give  both  the  sanctuary  and  the  host  to  be  trodden 


408  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

under  foot."  Who  gives  them  to  this  condition  ? 
God.  Why  ?  To  discipline,  "  purify  and  make 
white  "  his  people.  How  long  ?  Till  the  sanctuary 
is  cleansed. 

VERSE  8.  And  I  heard,  but  I  understood  not ;  then  said 
I,  0  my  Lord,  what  shall  be  the  end  of  these  things  1  9. 
And  he  said,  Go  thy  way,  Daniel ;  for  the  words  are  closed 
up  and  sealed  till  the  time  of  the  end.  10.  Many  shall  be 
purified,  and  made  white,  and  tried  ;  but  the  wicked  shall 
do  wickedly  ;  and  none  of  the  wicked  shall  understand ;  but 
the  wise  shall  understand. 

How  forcibly  are  we  reminded,  by  Daniel's  solic- 
itude to  understand  fully  all  that  had  been  shown 
him,  of  Peter's  words  where  he  speaks  of  the 
prophets'  inquiring  and  searching  diligently  to  un- 
derstand the  predictions  concerning  the  sufferings  of 
Christ  and  the  glory  that  should  follow ;  and  also  of 
the  fact  that  not  unto  themselves  but  unto  us  they 
did  minister.  How  little  were  some  of  the  prophets 
permitted  to  understand  of  what  they  wrote  !  But 
they  did  not  therefore  refuse  to  write.  If  God  re- 
quired it,  they  knew  that  in  due  time  he  would  see 
that  his  people  derived  from  their  writings  all  the 
benefit  that  he  intended.  So  the  language  here  used 
to  Daniel,  was  the  same  as  telling  him  that  when 
the  right  time  should  come,  the  wise  would  under- 
stand the  meaning  of  what  he  had  written,  and  be 
profited  thereby.  The  time  of  the  end  was  the  time 
in  which  the  Spirit  of  God  was  to  break  the  seal 
from  off  this  book  ;  and  consequently  this  was  the 
time  during  which  the  wise  should  understand,  while 
the  wicked,  lost  to  all  sense  of  the  value  of  eternal 


CHAl'TER  XII,  VERSES  8-10. 


truth,  with  hearts  callous  and  hardened  in  sin,  would 
grow  continually  more  wicked  and  more  blind.  None 
of  the  wicked  understand.  The  efforts  of  the  wise 
to  understand,  they  call  folly  and  presumption, 
and  ask,  in  sneering  mockery,  Where  is  the  prom- 
ise of  His  coming  ?  And  should  the  question  be 
raised,  Of  what  time  and  what  generation  speak- 
eth  the  prophet  this  ?  the  solemn*  answer  would  be, 
Of  the  present  time,  and  of  the  generation  now  be- 
fore us.  This  language  of  the  prophet  is  now  re- 
ceiving a  most  striking  fulfillment. 

The  phraseology  of  verse  10  seems  at  first  sight 
to  be  rather  peculiar :  "  Many  shall  be  purified,  and 
made  white,  and  tried."  How,  it  may  be  asked, 
can  they  be  made  white,  and  then  tried  (as  the  lan- 
guage would  seem  to  imply),  when  it  is  by  being 
tried  that  they  are  purified  and  made  white  ?  An- 
swer: The  language  doubtless  describes  a  process 
which  is  many  times  repeated  in  the  experience  of 
those  who,  during  this  time,  are  being  made  ready 
for  the  coming  and  kingdom  of  the  Lord.  They  are 
purified  and  made  white  to  a  certain  degree,  and  in 
comparison  with  their  former  condition.  Then 
they  are  tried.  Greater  tests  are  brought  to  bear 
upon  them.  If  they  endure  these,  the  work  of  pu- 
rification is  thus  carried  on  to  a  still  deeper  degree, — 
the  process  of  being  made  white  is  made  to  reach  a 
still  higher  stage.  And  having  reached  this  state, 
they  are  tried  again,  resulting  in  their  being  still 
further  purified  and  made  white ;  and  thus  the  proc- 
ess goes  on  till  characters  are  developed  which"  will 


410  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

stand  the  test  of»  the  great  day,  and  a  place  is 
reached  beyond  which  there  is  no  need  of  further 
trial. 

VERSE  11.  And  from  the  time  that  the  daily  sacrifice  shall 
be  taken  away,  and  the  abomination  that  maketh  desolate 
set  up,  there  shall  be  a  thousand  two  hundred  and  ninety 
days. 

We  here  have  a  new  prophetic  period  introduced, 
namely,  1290  prophetic  days,  which  would  denote 
the  same  number  of  literal  years.  From  the  read- 
ing of  the  text,  some  have  inferred  (though  the  in- 
ference is  not  a  necessary  one)  that  this  period  be- 
gins with  the  setting  up  of  the  abomination  of  des- 
olation, or  the  papal  power,  in  538,  and  consequently 
extends  to  1828.  But  while  we  find  nothing  in 
that  year  to  mark  its  termination,  we  do  find  evi- 
dence in  the  margin  that  it  begins  before  the  set- 
ting up  of  the  papal  abomination.  The  margin 
reads,  "  To  set  up  the  abomination,  etc."  With  this 
reading  the  text  would  stand  thus :  "  And  from  the 
time  that  the  daily  sacrifice  shall  be  taken  away,  to 
set  up  [or,  in  order  to  set  up]  the  abomination  that 
maketh  desolate,  there  shall  be  a  thousand  two  hun- 
dred and  ninety  days."  The  daily  has  already  been 
shown  to  be,  not  the  daily  sacrifice  of  the  Jews,  but 
the  daily  or  continual  abomination,  that  is,  pagan- 
ism. See  on  chap.  8:13.  This  had  to  be  taken 
away  to  prepare  the  way  for  the  papacy.  For  the 
historical  events  showing  how  this  was  accom- 
plished in  508,  see  on  chap.  11:31.  We  are  not 
told  directly  to  what  event  these  1290  days  reach ; 


CHAPTER  XII,   VERSE  12,  13. 


but  inasmuch  as  their  commencement  is  marked  by 
a  work  which  takes  place  to  prepare  the  way  for 
the  setting  up  of  the  papacy,  it  would  be  most  nat- 
ural to  conclude  that  their  end  would  be  marked  by 
the  cessation  of  papal  supremacy.  Counting  back, 
then,  1290  years  from  1798,  we  have  the  year  508, 
where  it  has  been  shown  that  paganism  was  taken 
away  thirty  years  before  the  setting  up  of  the  pa- 
pacy. This  period  is  doubtless  given  to  show  the 
date  of  the  taking  away  of  the  daily,  and  it  is  the 
only  one  which  does  this.  The  two  periods,  there- 
fore, of  1290  and  1260  days,  terminate  together  in 
1798  ;  the  one  beginning  in  538,  and  the  other  in 
508,  thirty  years  previous. 

VERSE  12.  Blessed  is  he  that  waiteth,  and  cometh  to  the 
thousand  three  hundred  and  five  and  thirty  days.  13.  But 
go  thou  thy  way  till  the  end  be  ;  for  thou  shalt  rest,  and 
stand  in  thy  lot  at  the  end  of  the  days. 

Still  another  prophetic  period  is  here  introduced, 
denoting  1335  years.  The  testimony  concerning 
this  period,  like  that  which  pertains  to  the  1290 
years,  is  very  meager.  Can  we  tell  when  this  period 
begins  and  ends  ?  The  only  clue  we  have  to  the 
solution  of  this  question,  is  the  fact  that  it  is 
spoken  of  in  immediate  connection  with  the  1290 
years,  which  commenced,  as  shown  above,  in  508. 
From  that  point  there  shall  be,  says  the  prophet, 
1290  days.  And  the  very  next  sentence  reads, 
Blessed  is  he  that  waiteth  and  cometh  to  the  1335 
days.  From  what  point?  From  the  same,  un- 
doubtedly, as  that  from  which  the  1290  date, 


412  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

namely,  508.  Unless  they  are  to  be  reckoned  from 
this  point,  it  is  impossible  to  locate  them,  and  they 
must  be  excepted  from  the  prophecy  of  Daniel, 
when  we  apply  to  it  the  words  of  Christ,  "  Whoso 
readeth  let  him  understand."  Matt.  24:15.  From 
this  point  they  would  extend  to  1843;  for  1335 
added  to  508,  make  1843.  Commencing  in  the 
spring  of  the  former  year,  they  ended  in  the  spring 
of  the  latter. 

But  how  can  it  be  that  they  have  ended,  it  may 
be  asked,  since  at  the  end  of  these  days  Daniel 
stands  in  his  lot,  which  is  his  resurrection  from  the 
dead  ?  This  question  is  founded  on  a  misapprehen- 
sion in  two  respects ;  First,  that  the  days  at  the  end 
of  which  Daniel  stands  in  his  lot,  are  the  1335  days ; 
which  we  think  is  a  mistake ;  secondly,  that  the 
standing  of  Daniel  in  his  lot,  is  his  resurrection; 
which  also  cannot  be  shown.  The  only  thing 
promised  at  the  end  of  the  1335  days,  is  a  blessing 
unto  those  who  wait  and  come  to  it ;  that  is,  those 
who  are  living  at  that  time.  What  is  this  blessing  ? 
Looking  at  the  year  1843,  when  these  years  ex- 
pired, what  do  we  behold  ?  We  see  a  remarkable 
fulfillment  of  prophecy  in  the  great  proclamation  of 
the  second  coming  of  Christ.  Forty-five  years  be- 
fore this,  the  time  of  the  end  commenced,  the  book 
was  unsealed,  and  light  began  to  increase.  About 
the  year  1843,  there  was  a  grand  culmination  of  all 
the  light  that  had  been  shed  on  prophetic  subjects 
up  to  that  time.  The  proclamation  went  forth  in 
power.  The  new  and  stirring  doctrine  of  the  set- 


CHAPTER  XII,  VERSES  12,  13.  413 

ting  up  of  the  kingdom  of  God,  shook  the  world. 
New  life  was  imparted  to  the  true  disciples  of 
Christ.  The  unbelieving  were  condemned,  the 
churches  were  tested,  and  a  spirit  of  revival  was 
awakened  which  has  no  parallel  in  modern  times. 

Was  this  the  blessing  ?  Listen  to  the  Saviour's 
words  :  "  Blessed  are  your  eyes,"  said  he  to  his  dis- 
ciples, "  for  they  see ;  and  your  ears,  for  they  hear." 
Matt.  13:16.  And  again  he  told  his  followers  that 
prophets  and  kings  had  desired  to  see  the  things 
which  they  saw,  and  had  not  seen  them.  But 
"  blessed,"  said  he  to  them,  "  are  the  eyes  which  see 
the  things  that  ye  see."  Luke  10  :  23,  24.  If  a  new 
and  glorious  truth  was  a  blessing  in  the  days  of 
Christ  to  those  who  received  it,  why  not  equally  so 
in  A.  D.  1843? 

It  may  be  objected  that  those  who  engaged  in 
this  movement  were  disappointed  in  their  expecta- 
tions ;  so  were  the  disciples  of  Christ  at  his  first  ad- 
vent, in  a  tenfold  degree.  They  shouted  before  him 
as  he  rode  into  Jerusalem,  expecting  that  he  would 
then  take  the  kingdom  ;  but  the  only  throne  to 
which  he  then  went  was  the  cross,  and  instead  of 
being  hailed  as  king  in  a  royal  palace,  he  was  laid  a 
lifeless  form  in  Joseph's  new  sepulcher.  Neverthe- 
less, they  were  blessed  in  receiving  the  truths  they 
had  heard. 

It  may  be  objected  further  that  this  was  not  a 
sufficient  blessing  to  be  marked  by  a  prophetic  pe- 
riod. Why  not,  since  the  period  in  which  it  was  to 
occur,  namely,  the  time  of  the  end,  is  introduced  by 


414  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

a  prophetic  period,  since  our  Lord  in  verse  14  of  his 
great  prophecy  of  Matt.  24,  makes  a  special  an- 
nouncement of  this  movement,  and  since  it  is  still 
further  set  forth  in  Rev.  14:6,  7,  under  the  symbol 
of  an  angel  flying  through  mid  heaven  with  a  spe- 
cial announcement  of  the  everlasting  gospel  to  the 
inhabitants  of  the  earth  ?  Surely  the  Bible  gives 
great  prominence  to  this  movement.  We  do  not  half 
realize  its  blessedness  and  importance. 

Two  more  questions  remain  to  be  briefly  noticed  : 
1.  What  days  are  referred  to  in  verse  13  ?  2. 
What  is  meant  by  Daniel's  standing  in  his  lot? 
Those  who  claim  that  the  days  are  the  1335,  are  led 
to  that  application  by  looking  back  no  further  than 
to  the  preceding  verse,  where  the  1335  days  are 
mentioned ;  whereas  in  making  an  application  of 
these  days  so  indefinitely  introduced,  we  think  the 
whole  scope  of  the  prophecy  should  be  taken  in 
from  chap.  8.  Chapters  9,  10,  11,  and  12,  are 
clearly  a  continuation  and  explanation  of  the  vision 
of  chapter  8 ;  so  that  we  may  say  that  in  the  vis- 
ion of  chapter  8,  as  carried  out  and  explained,  there 
are  four  prophetic  periods ;  namely,  the  2300,  1260, 
1290,  and  1335  days.  The  first  is  the  principal  and 
longest  period ;  the  others  are  but  intermediate 
parts  and  subdivisions  of  this.  Now  when  the  an- 
gel tells  Daniel,  at  the  conclusion  of  his  instructions, 
that  he  shall  stand  in  his  lot  at  the  end  of  the  days, 
without  specifying  which  period  was  meant,  would 
not  Daniel's  mind  naturally  turn  to  the  principal 
and  longest  period,  the  2300  days,  rather  than  to 


CHAPTER  XII,    VERSES  12,  13.  415 

any  of  its  subdivisions  ?  If  this  is  so,  the  2300  are 
the  days  intended.  The  reading  of  the  Septua- 
gint  seems  to  look  very  plainly  in  this  direction : 
"  But  go  thy  way  and  rest ;  for  there  are  yet  days 
and  seasons  to  the  full  accomplishment  [of  these 
things] ;  and  thou  shalt  stand  in  thy  lot  at  the  end 
of  the  days."  This  certainly  carries  the  mind  back 
to  the  long  period  contained  in  the  first  vision  in 
relation  to  which  these  subsequent  instructions  were 
given. 

The  2300  days,  as  has  been  already  shown,  ter- 
minated in  1844,  and  brought  us  to  the  cleansing  of 
the  sanctuary.  How  did  Daniel  at  that  time  stand 
in  his  lot  ?  Answer.  In  the  person  of  his  Advo- 
cate, our  great  High  Priest,  as  he  presents  the  cases 
of  the  righteous  for  acceptance  to  his  Father.  The 
word  here  translated  lot,  does  not  mean  a  piece  of 
real  estate,  a  lot  of  land,  but  the  decisions  of  chance, 
or  the  determinations  of  Providence.  At  the  end 
of  the  days,  the  lot,  so  to  speak,  was  to  be  cast. 
In  other  words,  a  determination  was  to  be  made  in 
reference  to  those  who  should  be  accounted  worthy 
of  a  possession  in  the  heavenly  inheritance.  And 
when  Daniel's  case  comes  up  for  examination,  he  is 
found  righteous,  stands  in  his  lot,  is  assigned  a  place 
in  the  heavenly  Canaan.  Does  not  the  language  of 
the  psalmist  have  reference  to  this  time,  when  he 
says,  Ps.  1:5,"  The  ungodly  shall  not  stand  in  the 
Judgment"? 

When  Israel  were  about  to  enter  into  the  prom- 
ised land,  the  lot  was  cast,  and  the  possession  of  each 


4,16  THOUGHTS  ON  DANIEL. 

tribe  was  thus  assigned  it.  Each  tribe  thus  stood 
in  its  lot,  long  before  it  entered  upon  the  actual 
possession  of  the  land.  The  time  of  the  cleansing 
of  the  sanctuary  corresponds  to  this  period  in  Isra- 
el's history.  We  now  stand  upon  the  borders  of 
the  heavenly  Canaan,  and  decisions  are  being  made, 
assigning  to  some  a  place  in  the  eternal  kingdom, 
and  barring  others  forever  therefrom.  In  the  de- 
cision of  his  case,  Daniel's  portion  in  the  celestial 
inheritance  will  be  made  sure  to  him.  And  with 
him  all  the  faithful  will  also  stand.  And  when  this 
devoted  servant  of  God,  who  filled  up  a  long  life 
with  the  n,oblest  deeds  of  service  to  his  Maker, 
though  cumbered  with  the  weightiest  cares  of  this 
life,  shall  enter  upon  his  reward  for  well-doing,  we 
too  may  enter  with  him  into  rest,  behold  his  rap- 
ture, and  share  his  joy. 

We  draw  these  Thoughts  on  Daniel  to  a  close 
with  the  remark  that  it  has  been  with  no  small  de- 
gree of  satisfaction  that  we  have  spent  what  time 
and  study  we  have  on  this  wonderful  prophecy,  and 
in  contemplating  the  character  of  this  most  beloved 
of  men  and  most  illustrious  of  prophets.  God  is  no 
respecter  of  persons ;  and  a  reproduction  of  Dan- 
iel's character  will  secure  the  favor  of  God,  as  sig- 
nally even  now.  Let  us  emulate  his  virtues,  that 
we,  like  him,  may  have  the  approbation  of  God 
while  here,  and  dwell  amid  the  creations  of  his  in- 
finite glory  in  the  long  hereafter. 


THE    REVELATION. 


THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 


INTRODUCTION. 


THE  Revelation,  usually  termed  "The  Apoca- 
lypse," from  its  Greek  name,  'ATro/cdAv^c,  meaning  "a 
disclosure,  a  revelation,"  has  been  described  to  be 
"a  panorama  of  the  glory  of  Christ."  In  the  Evan- 
gelists we  have  the  record  of  his  humiliation,  his 
condescension,  his  toil  and  sufferings,  his  patience, 
his  mockings  and  scourgings  by  those  who  should 
have  done  him  reverence,  and  finally  his  death  upon 
the  shameful  cross, — a  death  esteemed  in  that  age  to 
be  the  most  ignominious  that  men  could  inflict.  In 
the  Revelation  we  have  the  gospel  of  his  enthrone- 
ment in  glory,  his  association  with  the  Father  upon 
the  throne  of  universal  dominion,  his  overruling 
providence  among  the  nations  of  the  earth,  and  his 
coming  again — not  a  homeless  stranger — but  in 
power  and  great  glory  to  punish  his  enemies  and 
reward  his  followers.  "A  voice  has  cried  in  the 
wilderness,  'Behold  the  Lamb  of  God  ;'  a  voice  will 
soon  proclaim  from  Heaven,  'Behold  the  Lion  of  the 
tribe  of  Judah!'" 

Scenes  of   glory  surpassing  fable   are  unveiled 

(419) 


420  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

before  us  in  this  book.  Appeals  of  unwonted  power 
bear  down  upon  the  impenitent  from  its  sacred 
pages,  in  threatenings  of  judgment  that  have  no 
parallel  in  any  other  portion  of  the  book  of  God. 
Consolation  which  no  language  can  describe  is  here 
given  to  the  humble  followers  of  Christ  in  this 
lower  world,  in  glorious  views  of  Him  upon  whom 
help  for  them  has  been  laid, — Him  who  has  the  key 
of  David,  who  holds  his  ministers  in  his  own  right 
hand,  who,  though  he  was  once  dead,  is  now  alive 
forevermore,  and  assures  us  that  he  is  the  triumph- 
ant possessor  of  the  keys  of  death  and  the  grave, 
and  who  has  given  to  every  overcomer  the  multi- 
plied promise  of  walking  with  him  in  white,  having 
a  crown  of  life,  partaking  of  the  fruit  of  the  tree  of 
life  which  grows  in  the  midst  of  the  Paradise  of 
God,  and  being  raised  up  to  sit  with  him  upon  his 
own  glorious  throne.  No  other  book  takes  us  at 
once,  and  so  irresistibly,  into  another  sphere.  Long 
vistas  are  here  opened  before  us,  which  are  bounded 
by  no  terrestrial  objects,  but  carry  us  forward  into 
other  worlds.  And  if  ever  themes  of  thrilling  and 
impressive  interest,  and  grand  and  lofty  imagery, 
and  sublime  and  magnificent  description,  can  invite 
the  attention  of  mankind,  then  the  Revelation  in- 
vites us  to  a  careful  study  of  its  pages,  which  urge 
upon  our  notice  the  realities  of  a  momentous  future, 
and  an  unseen  world. 


I. 


THE  INTRODUCTORY  VISION. 

THE  book  opens  with  the  announcement  of  its 
title  and  a  benediction : — 

VERSES  1-3.  The  Revelation  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  God 
gave  unto  him,  to  shew  unto  his  servants  things  which  must 
shortly  come  to  pass  ;  and  he  sent  and  signified  it  by  his 
angel  unto  his  servant  John,  who  bare  record  of  the  word  of 
God,  and  of  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  of  all  things 
that  he  saw.  Blessed  is  he  that  readeth,  and  they  that  hear 
the  words  of  this  prophecy,  and  keep  those  things  which  are 
written  therein  ;  for  the  time  is  at  hand. 

The  Title.  The  translators  of  our  common  ver- 
sion of  the  Bible  have  given  this  book  the  title  of 
"  The  Revelation  of  St.  John  the  Divine."  In  this 
they  contradict  the  very  first  words  of  the  book 
itself,  which  declare  it  to  be  "The  Revelation  of 
Jesus  Christ."  Jesus  Christ  is  the  Revelator,  not 
John.  John  is  but  the  penman  employed  by  Christ 
to  write  out  this  Revelation  for  the  benefit  of  his 
church.  There  is  no  doubt  that  the  John  here 
mentioned  is  the  person  of  that  name  who  was  the 
beloved  and  highly  favored  one  among  the  twelve 
apostles.  He  was  evangelist  and  apostle,  and  the 
NY  liter  of  the  gospel  and  epistles  which  beax  his 

(421) 


422  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

name.  See  Clarke,  Barnes,  Kitto,  Pond,  and  others. 
To  his  previous  titles  he  now  adds  that  of  prophet ; 
for  the  Revelation  is  a  prophecy.  But  the  matter 
of  this  book  is  traced  back  to  a  still  higher  source. 
It  is  not  only  the  Revelation  of  Jesus  Christ,  but  it 
is  the  Revelation  which  God  gave  unto  him.  It 
comes,  then,  first,  from  the  great  fountain  of  all 
wisdom  and  truth,  God  the  Father ;  by  him  it  was 
communicated  to  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son ;  and  Christ 
sent  and  signified  it  by  his  angel  to  his  servant 
John. 

The  Character  of  the  Book.  This  is  expressed  in 
one  word,  "Revelation."  A  revelation  is  something 
revealed,  something  clearly  made  known,  not  some- 
thing hidden  and  concealed.  Moses,  in  Deut.  29  :  29, 
tells  us  that  "the  secret  things  belong  unto  the  Lord 
our  God ;  but  those  things  which  are  revealed  belong 
unto  us  and  to  our  children  forever."  The  very 
title  of  the  book,  then,  is  a  sufficient  refutation  of 
the  popular  opinion  of  to-day,  that  this  book  is 
among  the  hidden  mysteries  of  God,  and  cannot  be 
understood.  Were  this  the  case,  it  should  bear 
some  such  title  as  "The  Mystery,"  or  "The  Hidden 
Book  ;"  certainly  not  that  of  "The  Revelation." 

Its  Object  "  To  show  unto  his  servants  things 
which  must  shortly  corne  to  pass."  His  servants — 
who  are  they  ?  Is  there  any  limit  ?  For  whose 
benefit  was  the  Revelation  given  ?  For  any  speci- 
fied persons  ?  For  any  particular  churches  ?  For 
any  special  period  of  time  ?  No :  it  is  for  all  the 
church  in  all  time,  so  long  as  any  of  the  events 


CHAPTEli  7,    VERSES  1-3.  423 

therein  predicted  remain  to  be  accomplished.  It  is 
for  all  those  who  can  claim  the  appellation  of  "  his 
servants,"  wherever  or  whenever  they  may  live. 
But  this  language  brings  up  again  the  popular  view 
that  the  Revelation  is  not  to  be  understood.  God 
says  it  was  given  to  show  something  to  his  ser- 
vants ;  and  yet  many  of  the  expounders  of  his  word 
tell  us  that  it  does  not  show  anything,  because  no 
man  can  understand  it  \  As  though  God  would 
undertake  to  make  known  to  mankind  some  im- 
portant truths,  and  yet  fall  into  the  worse  than 
earthly  folly  of  clothing  them  in  language  or  in 
figures  which  human  minds  could  not  comprehend ! 
As  though  he  would  command  a  person  to  behold 
some  distant  object,  and  then  erect  an  impenetrable 
barrier  between  him  and  the  object  specified !  Or 
as  though  he  would  give  his  servants  a  light  to 
guide  them  through  the  gloom  of  night,  and  yet 
throw  over  that  light  a  pall  so  thick  and  heavy 
that  not  a  ray  of  its  brightness  could  penetrate  the 
obscuring  folds  !  How  do  they  dishonor  God  who 
thus  trifle  with  his  word !  No :  the  Revelation  will 
accomplish  the  object  for  which  it  was  given,  and 
"his  servants"  will  learn  therefrom  "the  things 
which  must  shortly  come  to  pass,"  and  which  con- 
cern their  eternal  salvation. 

His  Angel.  Christ  sent  and  made  known  the 
Revelation  to  John  by  "  his  angel."  A  particular 
angel  seems  here  to  be  brought  to  view.  What 
angel  could  appropriately  be  called  Christ's  angel? 
May  we  not  find  an  answer  to  this  question  in  a 


424  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

significant  passage  in  the  prophecy  of  Daniel  ?  In 
Dan.  10  :  21,  an  angel,  which  was  doubtless  Gabriel 
(see  Dan.  chaps.  9,  10,  and  11  :  1),  in  making 
known  some  important  truths  to  Daniel,  said, 
"There  is  none  that  holdeth  with  me  in  these 
things,  but  Michael  your  prince."  Who  Michael  is 
we  easily  learn.  Jude,  verse  9,  calls  him  the  "arch- 
angel." And  Paul  tell  us  that  when  the  Lord  de- 
scends from  Heaven,  and  the  dead  in  Christ  are 
raised,  the  voice  of  the  archangel  shall  be  heard. 
1  Thess.  4  :  16.  And  whose  voice  will  be  heard  at 
that  amazing  hour  when  the  dead  are  called  to  life  ? 
The  Lord  himself  replies,  "Marvel  not  at  this;  for 
the  hour  is  coming  in  the  which  all  that  are  in  the 
graves  shall  hear  his  voice,"  John  5  :  28 ;  and  the 
previous  verse  shows  that  the  one  here  referred  to, 
whose  voice  shall  be  heard,  is  the  Son  of  man,  or 
Christ  It  is  the  voice  of  Christ,  then,  that  calls 
the  dead  from  their  graves.  That  voice  Paul  de- 
clares is  the  voice  of  the  archangel ;  and  Jude  says 
that  the  archangel  is  called  Michael,  the  very  per- 
sonage mentioned  in  Daniel ;  and  all  referring  to 
Christ.  The  statement  in  Daniel,  then,  is,  that  the 
truths  to  be  revealed  to  Daniel  were  committed  to 
Christ,  and  confined  exclusively  to  him,  and  to  an 
angel  whose  name  was  Gabriel.  Similar  to  the 
work  of  communicating  important  truth  to  the 
"beloved  prophet,"  is  the  work  of  Christ  in  the 
Revelation  of  communicating  important  truth  to 
the  "  beloved  disciple ;"  and  who,  in  this  work,  can 
be  his  angel,  but  he  who  was  engaged  with  him  in 


CHAPTER  J,   VERSES  1-S.  425 

the  former  work,  that  is,  the  angel  Gabriel  ?  This 
fact  will  throw  light  on  some  points  in  this  book, 
while  it  would  also  seem  most  appropriate  that  the 
same  being  who  was  employed  to  carry  messages 
to  the  principal  prophet  of  the  former  dispensation, 
should  perform  the  same  office  for  him  who  corre- 
sponds to  that  prophet  in  the  gospel  age.  See  on 
chapter  19  :  10. 

The  Benediction.  "Blessed  is  he  that  readeth, 
and  they  that  hear  the  words  of  this  prophecy." 
Is  there  so  direct  and  formal  a  blessing  pronounced 
upon  the  reading  and  observance  of  any  other  por- 
tion of  the  word  of  God  ?  What  encouragement, 
then,  have  we  for  its  study!  And  shall  we  say 
that  it  cannot  be  understood  ?  A  blessing  offered 
for  the  study  of  a  book  which  it  can  do  us  no  good 
to  study  ?  Men  may  assert,  with  more  pertness 
than  piety,  that  "every  age  of  declension  is  marked 
by  an  increase  of  commentaries  on  the  Apocalypse/' 
or  that  "the  study  of  the  Revelation  either  finds  or 
leaves  a  man  mad ;"  but  God  has  pronounced  his 
blessing  upon  it,  he  has  set  the  seal  of  his  approba- 
tion to  an  earnest  study  of  its  marvelous  pages : 
and  with  such  encouragement  from  such  a  source, 
the  child  of  God  will  be  unmoved  by  a  thousand 
feeble  counterblasts  from  men. 

Every  fulfillment  of  prophecy  brings  its  duties ; 
hence  there  are  things  in  the  Revelation  to  be  kept 
or  performed ;  practical  duties  to  be  entered  upon 
as  the  result  of  the  accomplishment  of  prophecy. 
A  notable  instance  of  this  kind  may  be  seen  in 


426  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  HE V ELATION. 

chap.  14  :  12 :  "  Here  are  they  that  keep  the  com- 
mandments of  God  and  the  faith  of  Jesus." 

But,  says  John,  "  The  time  is  at  hand."  Another 
motive  offered  for  the  study  of  this  book.  It  be- 
comes more  and  more  important  as  we  draw  near 
the  great  consummation.  On  this  point  we  offer  the 
impressive  thoughts  of  another :  "  The  importance 
of  studying  the  Apocalypse  increases  with  the  lapse 
of  time.  Here  are  'things  which  must  shortly  come 
to  pass.'  Even  when  John  bare  record  of  the  word 
of  God,  and  of  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ,  and 
of  all  things  that  he  saw,  the  long  period  within 
which  those  successive  scenes  were  to  be  realized 
was  at  hand.  If  proximity  then  constituted  a 
motive  for  heeding  those  contents,  how  much  more 
does  it  now !  Every  revolving  century,  every  clos- 
ing year,  adds  to  the  urgency  with  which  attention 
is  challenged  to  the  concluding  portion  of  Holy 
Writ.  And  does  not  that  intensity  of  devotion  to 
the  present,  which  characterizes  our  times  and  our 
country,  enhance  the  reasonableness  of  this  claim  ? 
Never,  surely,  was  there  a  period  when  some  mighty 
counteracting  power  was  more  needed.  The  Reve- 
lation of  Jesus  Christ,  duly  studied,  supplies  an 
appropriate  corrective  influence.  Would  that  all 
Christians  might,  in  fullest  measure,  receive  the 
blessing  of  'them  that  hear  the  words  of  this 
prophecy,  and  that  keep  the  things  which  are 
written  therein ;  for  the  time  is  at  hand.'  " 

Following  the  benediction,  we  have  the  dedica- 
tion : — 


CHAPTER  /,    VERSES  4-6.  427 

VERSES  4r-6.  John  to  the  seven  churches  which  are  in 
Asia  :  Grace  be  unto  you,  and  peace,  from  Him  which  is,  and 
which  was,  and  wliich  is  to  come ;  and  from  the  seven  spirits 
which  are  before  his  throne  ;  and  from  Jesus  Christ,  who  is 
the  faithful  witness,  and  the  first  begotten  of  the  dead,  and 
the  Prince  of  the  kings  of  the  earth.  Unto  Him  that  loved 
us,  and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  own  blood,  and  hath 
made  us  kings  and  priests  unto  God  and  his  Father;  to  Him 
be  glory  and  dominion  forever  and  ever.  Amen. 

The  Churches  in  Asia.  There  were  more  churches 
in  Asia  than  seven.  We  may  confine  ourselves  to 
that  western  fraction  of  Asia,  known  as  Asia  Minor, 
or  we  may  include  still  less  territory  than  that ;  for 
in  that  small  portion  even  of  Asia  Minor,  where 
were  situated  the  seven  churches  which  are  men- 
tioned, and  right  in  their  very  midst,  there  were 
other  important  churches.  Colosse,  to  the  Chris- 
tians of  which  place  Paul  addressed  his  epistle  to 
the  Colossians,  was  but  a  slight  distance  from  Lao- 
dicea.  Miletus  was  nearer  than  any  of  the  seven 
to  Patmos,  where  John  had  his  vision ;  and  it  was 
an  important  station  for  the  church,  as  we  may 
judge  from  the  fact  that  Paul,  during  one  of  his 
stays  there,  sent  for  the  elders  of  the  church  of 
Ephesus  to  meet  him  at  that  place.  Acts  20  : 17-38. 
At  the  same  place  he  also  left,  in  good  Christian 
hands  no  doubt,  Trophimus,  his  disciple,  sick.  2 
Tim.  4  :  20.  And  Troas,  where  Paul  spent  a  season 
with  the  disciples,  and  having  waited  till  the  Sab- 
bath was  past,  started  off  upon  his  journey,  was  not 
far  removed  from  Pergamos,  which  is  named  among 
the  seven.  It  becomes,  therefore,  an  interesting 


428  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

question,  to  determine  why  seven  of  the  churches  of 
Asia  Minor  were  selected  as  the  ones  to  which  the 
Revelation  should  be  dedicated.  Does  what  is  said 
of  the  seven  churches  in  chap.  1,  and  to  them  in 
chaps.  2  and  3,  have  reference  solely  to  the  seven 
literal  churches  named,  describing  things  only  as 
they  then  and  there  existed,  and  portraying  what 
was  before  them  alone  ?  We  cannot  so  conclude, 
for  the  following  reasons  : — 

1.  The  entire  book  of  Revelation,  see  chap.  1  : 3, 
11,   19 ;    22  : 18,    19,   was   dedicated   to   the   seven 
churches.     Verse  11.     But  the  book  was  no  more 
applicable  to  them  than  to  other  Christians  in  Asia 
Minor,  those,  for  instance,  who  dwelt  in  Pontus,  Ga- 
latia,  Cappadocia,  and  Bithynia,  addressed  in  1  Peter 
1  : 1,  or  the  Christians  of  Colosse,  Troas,  and  Miletus, 
in  the  very  midst  of  the  churches  named. 

2.  Only  a  small  portion  of  the  book  could  have 
personally  concerned  the  churches  named,  or  any  of 
the  Christians  of  John's  day ;  for  the  events  it  brings 
to  view  were  mostly  so  far  in  the  future  as  to  be  be- 
yond the  lifetime  of  the  generation  then  living,  and 
with  which  they  could  consequently  have  no  per- 
sonal connection. 

3.  The  seven  stars  which  the  Son  of  man  held  in 
his  right  hand,  verse  20,  are  declared  to  be  the  angels 
of  the  seven  churches.     The  angels  of  the  churches, 
doubtless  all  will  be  agreed,  are  the  ministers  of  the 
churches.     Their  being  held  in  the  right  hand  of  the 
Son  of  man  denotes  the  upholding  power,  guidance, 
and  protection,  vouchsafed  to  them.     But  there  were 


CHAPTER  7,    VERSES  4-6-  429 

only  seven  of  them  in  his  right  hand.  And  are  there 
only  seven  thus  cared  for  by  the  great  Master  of 
assemblies?  May  not,  rather,  all  the  true  ministers 
of  the  whole  gospel  age  derive  from  this  representa- 
tion the  consolation  of  knowing  that  they  are  upheld 
and  guided  by  the  right  hand  of  the  great  Head  of 
the  church?  Such  would  seem  to  be  the  only  con- 
sistent conclusion. 

4.  Again,  John,  looking  into  the  Christian  dispen- 
sation,  saw  only    seven    candlesticks,    representing 
seven  churches,  in  the  midst  of  which  stood  the  Son 
of  man.     The  position  of  the  Son  of  man  in  their 
midst  must  denote  his  presence  with  them,  his  watch- 
care  over  them,  and  his  searching  scrutiny  of  all 
their  works.     But  does  he  thus  take  cognizance  of 
only  seven  individual  churches  in  this  dispensation? 
May  we  not  rather  conclude  that  this  scene  repre- 
sents his  position  in  reference  to  all  his  churches  dur- 
ing the  gospel  age?      Then  why  were  only  seven 
mentioned?     Seven,  as  used  in  the  Scriptures,  is  a 
number  denoting  fullness  and   completeness,  being, 
doubtless,  a  kind  of  memorial  of  the  great  facts  of 
the  first  seven  days  of  time  which  have  divided  all 
ages  into  cycles  of  weeks.     Like  the  seven  stars,  the 
seven   candlesticks   must  denote  the   whole  of  the 
things   which   they   represent.      The   whole    gospel 
church  in  seven  divisions  or  periods  must  be  symbol- 
ized by  them.     And  hence  the  seven  churches  must 
be  applied  in  the  same  manner. 

5.  Why,  then,  were  the  seven  particular  churches 
chosen  that  are  mentioned !     For  the  reason,  doubt- 


430  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

less,  that  in  the  names  of  these  churches,  according 
to  the  definitions  of  the  words,  are  brought  out  the 
religious  features  of  those  periods  of  the  gospel  age 
which  they  respectively  represent. 

For  these  reasons,  we  understand  by  "the  seven 
churches,"  not  merely  the  seven  literal  churches  of 
Asia  which  went  by  the  names  mentioned,  but  seven 
periods  of  the  Christian  church,  from  the  days  of  the 
apostles  to  the  close  of  probation.  See  on  chap.  2, 
verse  1. 

The  Source  of  Blessing.  "From  Him  which  is,  and 
which  was,  and  which  is  to  come,"  or  is  to  be, — an 
expression  which  signifies  complete  eternity,  past  and 
future,  and  can  be  applicable  to  God  the  Father  only. 
This  language,  we  believe,  is  never  applied  to  Christ. 
He  is  spoken  of  as  another  person,  in  distinction  from 
the  being  thus  described. 

The  Seven  Spirits.  This  expression  probably  has 
no  reference  to  angels,  but  to  the  Spirit  of  God.  It 
is  one  of  the  sources  from  which  grace  and  peace  are 
invoked  for  the  church.  Chap.  22  :  9.  On  the  sub- 
ject of  the  seven  spirits,  Thompson  remarks:  "That 
is,  from  the  Holy  Spirit,  denominated  'the  seven  spir- 
its/ because  seven  is  a  sacred  and  perfect  number; 
not  thus  named  as  denoting  interior  plurality,  but 
the  fullness  and  perfection  of  his  gifts  and  opera- 
tions." Barnes  says,  "  The  number  seven,  therefore, 
may  have  been  given  by  the  Holy  Spirit  with  refer- 
ence to  the  diversity  or  the  fullness  of  his  operations 
on  the  souls  of  men,  and  to  his  manifold  agency  on 
the  affairs  of  the  world  as  further  developed  in  this 


CHAPTER  /,    VERSES  4-6.  431 

book."  Bloomfield  gives  this  as  the  general  interpre- 
tation. 

His  Throne.  The  throne  of  God,  the  Father ;  for 
Christ  has  not  yet  taken  his  own  throne.  The  seven 
spirits  being  before  the  throne  "  m&y  be  intended  to 
designate  the  fact  that  the  Divine  Spirit  is  ever 
ready  to  be  sent  forth,  in  accordance  with  a  common 
representation  in  the  Scriptures,  to  accomplish  im- 
portant purposes  in  human  affairs." 

And  from  Jesus  Christ.  Then  Christ  is  not  the 
person,  who,  in  the  verse  before,  is  designated  as 
"Him  which  is,  and  which  was,  and  which  is  to 
come."  Some  of  the  chief  characteristics  which  per- 
tain to  Christ  are  here  mentioned.  He  is 

The  Faithful  Witness.  Whatever  he  bears  witness 
to,  is  true.  Whatever  he  promises  he  will  surely  fulfill. 

The  First  Begotten  of  the  Dead.  This  expression  is 
parallel  to  1  Cor.  15  :20,  23;  Heb.  1:6;  Rom.  8  : 
29,  and  Col.  1  :  15,  18,  where  we  find  such  expres- 
sions applied  to  Christ,  as,  "the  first-fruits  of  them 
that  slept,"  "the  first-born  among  many  brethren," 
"the  first-born  of  every  creature,"  and  "the  first-born 
from  the  dead."  But  we  do  not  think  that  these 
expressions  denote  that  he  was  the  first  in  point  of 
time  to  be  raised  from  the  dead;  for  others  were 
raised  before  him.  That  would  be  a  very  unimpor- 
tant point ;  but  he  was  the  chief  and  central  figure  of 
all  who  have  come  up  from  the  grave ;  for  it  was  by 
virtue  of  Christ's  coming  work  and  resurrection  that 
any  were  raised  before  his  time.  In  the  purpose  of 


432  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

God,  he  was  the  first  even  in  point  of  time  as  well  as 
in  importance ;  for  it  was  not  till  the  purpose  of 
Christ's  triumph  over  the  grave  was  formed  in  the 
mind  of  God,  who  calleth  those  things  that  be  not  as 
though  they  were,  Rom.  4  : 17,  that  any  were  re- 
leased from  the  power  of  death,  by  virtue  of  that 
great  fact  which  was,  in  due  time,  to  be  accom- 
plished. Christ  is  therefore  called  the  "first  begotten 
of  the  dead,"  chap.  1:5,  the  "first-fruits  of  them 
that  slept,"  1  Cor.  15  :  20,  the  "first-born  among 
many  brethren,"  Rom.  8:29,  and  "the  first-born 
from  the  dead,"  Col.  1  : 18.  In  Acts  26  : 23,  he  is 
spoken  of  as  "  the  first  that  should  rise  from  the  dead, 
and  should  show  light  unto  the  people,"  or  the  first 
who  by  rising  from  the  dead  should  show  light  unto 
the  people.  See  the  Greek  of  this  passage,  and 
Bloomfield's  note  thereon;  also,  Man's  Nature  and 
Destiny,  chap.  17. 

The  Prince  of  the  Kings  of  the  Earth.  Christ  is 
Prince  of  earthly  kings  in  a  certain  sense  now.  Paul 
informs  us  in  Eph.  1  :  20,  21,  that  he  has  been  set  at 
the  right  hand  of  God  in  the  heavenly  places,  "  far 
above  all  principality,  and  power,  and  might  and 
dominion,  and  every  name  that  is  named,  not  only  in 
this  world,  but  also  in  that  which  is  to  come."  The 
highest  names  named  in  this  world,  are  the  princes, 
kings,  emperors,  and  potentates  of  earth.  But  Christ 
is  placed  far  above  them.  He  is  seated  with  his 
Father  upon  the  throne  of  universal  dominion,  chap. 
3  :  21,  and  ranks  equally  with  him  in  the  overruling 
and  disposition  of  the  nations  and  affairs  of  earth. 


CHAPTER  /,    VERSES  4-6.  433 

In  a  more  particular  sense  Christ  is  to  be  Prince  of 
the  kings  of  the  earth  when  he  takes  his  own  throne, 
and  the  kingdoms  of  this  world  become  the  kingdom 
of  our  Lord  and  his  Christ,  when  they  are  given  by 
the  Father  into  his  hands,  and  he  comes  forth  bear- 
ing upon  his  vesture  the  title  of  "  King  of  kings  and 
Lord  of  lords,"  to  dash  them  in  pieces  like  a  potter's 
vessel.  Chap.  19:16. 

Unto  Him  that  Loved  Us.  We  have  thought  that 
earthly  friends  loved  us,  a  father,  a  mother,  brothers, 
and  sisters,  or  bosom  friends,  but  we  see  that  no  love 
is  worthy  of  the  name  compared  with  Christ's.  And 
the  following  sentence  adds  intensity  of  meaning  to 
the  previous  words  :  "  and  washed  us  from  our  sins 
in  his  own  blood."  What  love  is  this!  "Greater 
love,"  says  the  apostle,  "  hath  no  man  than  this,  that 
a  man  lay  down  his  life  for  his  friends."  But  Christ 
has  commended  his  love  to  us  in  that  he  died  for  us 
while  we  were  yet  sinners.  But  more  than  this — 
"hath  made  us  kings  and  priests  unto  God  and  his 
Father."  From  being  leprous  with  sin,  we  are  made 
clean  in  his  sight ;  from  being  enemies,  we  are  not 
only  made  friends,  but  raised  to  positions  of  honor 
and  dignity.  This  cleansing,  and  this  kingly  and 
priestly  exaltation — to  what  state  do  they  pertain? 
to  the  present  or  the  future?  Chiefly  to  the  future; 
for  it  is  only  then  that  we  shall  enjoy  these  blessings 
in  the  highest  degree.  Then,  after  the  atonement 
has  been  accomplished,  are  we  absolutely  and  forever 
free  from  our  sins ;  here  they  are  pardoned  only  on 

condition,  and  blotted  out  only  by  anticipation.    But 
28 


434  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

when  the  saints  are  permitted  to  sit  with  Christ  on 
his  throne,  according  to  the  promise  to  the  victo- 
rious Laodiceans,  when  they  take  the  kingdom  under 
the  whole  heaven  and  reign  forever  and  ever,  they 
will  be  kings  in  a  sense  that  they  never  can  be  in 
this  present  state.  Yet  enough  is  true  of  our  present 
condition  to  make  this  cheering  language  appropriate 
in  the  Christian's  present  song  of  joy;  for  here  we 
are  permitted  to  say  that  we  have  redemption 
through  his  blood,  though  that  redemption  is  not  yet 
given,  and  that  we  have  eternal  life,  though  that  life 
is  still  in  the  hands  of  the  Son,  to  be  brought  unto 
us  at  his  appearing ;  and  it  is  still  true,  as  it  was  in 
John's  and  Peter's  day,  that  God  designs  his  people 
in  this  world  to  be  unto  him  a  chosen  generation,  a 
royal  (kingly)  priesthood,  a  holy  nation,  a  peculiar 
people.  1  Pet.  2:9;  Rev.  3  :  21 ;  Dan.  7  :  18,  27. 
No  wonder  the  loving  and  beloved  disciple  ascribed 
to  this  Being  who  has  done  so  much  for  us,  glory 
and  dominion,  forever  and  ever.  And  let  all  the 
church  join  in  this  most  fitting  ascription  to  their 
greatest  benefactor  and  dearest  friend. 

VERSE  7.  Behold,  He  cometh  with  clouds ;  and  every  eye 
shall  see  him,  and  they  also  which  pierced  him ;  and  all  kin- 
dreds of  the  earth  shall  wail  because  of  him.  Even  so, 
Amen. 

He  Cometh  with  Clouds.  Here  John  carries  us  for- 
ward to  the  second  advent  of  Christ  in  glory,  the 
climax  and  crowning  event  of  his  intervention  in 
behalf  of  this  fallen  world.  Once  he  came  in  weak- 
ness, now  in  power ;  once  in  humility,  now  in  glory. 


CHAPTER  /,    VERSE  7.  435 

He  comes  in  clouds  in  like  manner  as  he  ascended. 
Acts  1  :  9,  11. 

His  Coining  Visible.  "  Every  eye  shall  see  him ; " 
that  is,  all  who  are  alive  at  the  time  of  his  coming. 
We  know  of  no  second  coming  of  Christ  that  shall 
be  as  the  stillness  of  midnight,  or  take  place  only  in 
the  desert  or  the  secret  chamber.  He  comes  not  as 
a  thief  in  the  sense  of  stealing  in  stealthily  and 
quietly  upon  the  world,  and  purloining  goods  to 
which  he  has  no  right.  But  he  comes  to  take  to 
himself  his  dearest  treasure,  his  sleeping  and  living 
saints,  whom  he  has  purchased  with  his  own  precious 
blood;  whom  he  has  wrested  from  the  power  of 
death  in  fair  and  open  conflict;  and  for  whom  his 
coming  will  be  no  less  open  and  triumphant  too.  It 
will  be  with  the  brilliancy  and  splendor  of  the  light- 
ning as  it  shines  from  the  east  to  the  west.  Matt. 
24  :  27.  It  will  be  with  a  sound  of  a  trumpet  that 
shall  pierce  to  earth's  lowest  depths,  and  with  a 
mighty  voice  that  shall  wake  the  sainted  sleepers 
from  their  dusty  beds.  Matt.  24  :  31,  margin ;  1 
Thess.  4:16.  He  will  come  upon  the  wicked  as  a 
thief,  only  because  they  persistently  shut  their  eyes 
to  the  tokens  of  his  approach,  and  will  not  believe 
the  declarations  of  his  word  that  he  is  at  the  door. 
To  represent  two  comings,  a  private  and  a  public, 
in  connection  with  the  second  advent,  as  some  do, 
is  a  libel  upon  the  Advent  name  and  faith. 

And  They  also  which  Pierced  Him.  They  also 
(in  addition  to  the  every  eye  before  mentioned)  who 
were  chiefly  concerned  in  the  tragedy  of  his  death ; 


436  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

they  shall  behold  him  returning  to  earth  in  triumph 
and  glory.  But  how  is  this  ?  They  are  not  living 
as  this  dispensation  draws  to  its  close;  and  how, 
then,  shall  they  behold  him  ?  Answer :  by  a  res- 
urrection; for  there  is  no  other  avenue  to  life  to 
those  who  have  been  once  laid  in  the  grave.  But 
how  is  it  that  these  wicked  persons  come  up  at  this 
time  ?  for  the  general  resurrection  of  the  wicked 
does  not  take  place  till  a  thousand  years  after  the 
second  advent.  Chap.  20  :  1-6.  On  this  point, 
Daniel  informs  us.  He  says  in  chap.  12  : 1,  2  : — 

"And  at  that  time  shall  Michael  stand  up,  the 
great  prince  which  standeth  for  the  children  of  thy 
people ;  and  there  shall  be  a  time  of  trouble,  such 
as  never  was  since  there  was  a  nation  even  to  that 
same  time ;  and  at  that  time  thy  people  shall  be 
delivered,  every  one  that  shall  be  found  written  in 
the  book.  And  many  of  them  that  sleep  in  the 
dust  of  the  earth  shall  awake,  some  to  everlasting 
life,  and  some  to  shame  and  everlasting  contempt." 

Here  a  partial  resurrection  is  brought  to  view,  or 
a  resurrection  of  a  certain  class  of  each,  righteous 
and  wicked,  before  the  general  resurrection  of  either 
class.  Many,  not  all,  that  sleep  shall  awake.  Some 
of  the  righteous,  not  all  of  them,  to  everlasting  life, 
and  some  of  the  wicked,  not  all  of  them,  to  shame 
and  everlasting  contempt.  And  this  resurrection 
transpires  in  connection  with  the  great  time  of 
trouble  such  as  never  was,  which  just  precedes  the 
coming  of  the  Lord.  May  not  "they  also  which 
pierced  Him,"  be  among  those  who  then  come  up  to 


CHAPTER  /,    VERSE  8.  437 

shame  aud  everlasting  contempt  ?  What  could  be 
more  appropriate,  so  far  as  human  minds  can  judge, 
than  that  those  who  took  part  in  the  scene  of  our 
Lord's  greatest  humiliation,  and  other  special  leaders 
in  crime  against  him,  should  be  raised  to  behold  his 
terrible  majesty,  as  he  comes  forth  triumphantly,  in 
naming  fire,  to  take  vengeance  on  them  that  know 
not  God  and  obey  not  his  gospel  ?  See  Thoughts 
on  Daniel  12  :  2. 

The  Church's  Response.  "Even  so,  Amen." 
Though  this  coming  of  Christ  is  to  the  wicked  a 
scene  of  terror,  it  is  to  the  righteous  a  scene  of  joy. 
"  When  the  world's  distress  comes,  then  the  saints' 
rest  comes."  That  coming  which  is  with  naming 
fire,  and  for  the  purpose  of  taking  vengeance  on  the 
wicked,  is  to  recompense  rest  to  all  them  that  be- 
lieve. 2  Thess.  1  :  6-10.  Every  friend  and  lover 
of  Christ  will  hail  every  declaration  and  every 
token  of  his  return,  as  glad  tidings  of  great  joy. 

VERSE  8.  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  beginning  and  the 
ending,  saith  the  Lord,  which  is,  and  which  was,  and  which 
is  to  come,  the  Almighty. 

Here  another  speaker  is  introduced.  Previous  to 
this,  John  has  been  the  speaker.  But  this  verse 
has  no  connection  with  what  precedes,  nor  with 
what  follows.  Who  it  is  who  here  speaks  must  be 
determined,  therefore,  by  the  terms  used.  We  have 
here  the  expression  again,  "which  is,  and  which 
was,  and  which  is  to  come,"  which  has  already  been 
noticed  as  referring  exclusively  to  God.  But  it 
may  be  asked,  Does  not  the  word  Lord  denote  that 


438  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

it  was  Christ  ?  On  this  point,  Barnes  has  the  fol- 
lowing note :  "  Many  MSS.  instead  of  '  Lord/  tiptoe , 
read  'God/  #e<5?,  and  this  reading  is  adopted  by  Gries- 
bach,  Tittman,  and  Hahn,  and  is  now  regarded  as 
the  correct  reading."  Bloomfield  supplies  the  word 
God,  and  marks  the  words  "  the  beginning  and  the 
ending"  as  an  interpolation.  Thus  appropriately 
closes  the  first  principal  division  of  this  chapter,  by 
a  revelation  of  the  great  God  of  himself,  as  a  being 
of  an  eternity  of  existence,  past  and  future,  and  of 
almighty  power,  and  hence  able  to  perform  all  his 
threatenings  and  his  promises,  which  he  has  given 
us  in  this  book. 

VERSE  9.  I  John,  who  also  am  your  brother,  and  com- 
panion in  tribulation,  and  in  the  kingdom  and  patience  of 
Jesus  Christ,  was  in  the  isle  that  is  called  Patmos,  for  the 
word  of  God,  and  for  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ. 

The  subject  here  changes,  John  introducing  the 
place  and  the  circumstances  under  which  the  Rev- 
elation was  given.  He  first  sets  himself  forth  as  a 
brother  of  the  universal  church,  and  their  companion 
in  the  tribulations  incident  to  the  Christian  pro- 
fession in  this  life. 

And  in  the  Kingdom.  These  words  have  been 
the  occasion  of  no  little  controversy.  Does  John 
really  mean  to  say  that  Christians  in  the  present 
state  are  in  the  kingdom  of  Christ;  or,  in  other 
words,  that  Christ's  kingdom  had  already  been,  in 
his  day,  set  up  ?  If  this  language  has  any  reference 
to  the  present  state,  it  must  be  in  a  very  limited  and 
accommodated  sense.  Those  who  take  the  ground 


CHAPTER  /,   VERSE  9.  439 

that  it  has  its  application  here,  usually  refer  to  1  Pet. 
2  :  9,  to  prove  the  existence  of  a  kingdom  in  the  pres- 
ent state  and  to  show  its  nature.  But,  as  was  re- 
marked on  verse  6,  the  literal  reign  of  the  saints  is 
yet  future.  It  is  through  much  tribulation  that  we 
are  to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God.  Acts  14 :  22. 
But  when  the  kingdom  is  entered,  the  tribulation  is 
done.  The  tribulation  and  the  kingdom  do  not  ex- 
ist contemporaneously.  Murdock's  translation  of  the 
Syriac  of  this  verse  omits  the  word  kingdom,  and 
reads  as  follows :  "  I  John,  your  brother,  and  partaker 
with  you  in  the  affliction  and  suffering  that  are  in 
Jesus  the  Messiah."  Wakefield  translates :  "  I  John, 
your  brother,  and  sharer  with  you  in  enduring  the 
affliction  of  the  kingdom  of  Jesus  Christ."  Bloom- 
field  says  that  by  the  words  tribulation  and  patience, 
"are  denoted  afflictions  and  troubles  to  be  endured 
for  the  sake,  and  in  the  cause,  of  Christ :  and  Baa^'a 
[kingdom]  intimates  that  he  is  to  be  partaker  with 
them  in  the  kingdom  prepared  for  them."  He  says 
that  "the  best  comment  on  this  passage  is  2  Tim. 
2:12,"  which  reads:  "If  we  suffer,  we  shall  also 
reign  with  him."  From  all  which,  we  may  safely 
conclude  that  though  there  is  a  kingdom  of  grace  in 
the  present  state,  the  kingdom  to  which  John  alluded 
is  the  future  kingdom  of  glory,  and  the  suffering  and 
patience  are  preparatory  to  its  enjoyment. 

The  Place.  The  isle  that  is  called  Patmos.  A 
small,  barren  island,  off"  the  west  coast  of  Asia  Mi- 
nor, between  the  island  of  Icaria  and  the  prom- 
ontory of  Miletus,  where  in  John's  day  existed 


440  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

the  nearest  Christian  church.  It  is  about  eight 
miles  in  length,  one  in  breadth,  and  eighteen  in 
circumference.  Its  present  name  is  Patino  or  Pat- 
mosa.  The  coast  is  high,  and  consists  of  a  suc- 
cession of  capes  which  form  many  ports.  The  only 
one  now  in  use  is  a  deep  bay  sheltered  by  high 
mountains  on  every  side  but  one,  where  it  is  pro- 
tected by  a  projecting  cape.  The  town  attached  to 
this  port  is  situated  upon  a  high,  rocky  mountain 
rising  immediately  from  the  sea,  and  is  the  only 
inhabited  site  of  the  island.  About  half  way  up 
the  mountain  on  which  this  town  is  built,  there  is 
shown  a  natural  grotto  in  the  rock,  where  tradition 
will  have  it  that  John  had  his  vision  and  wrote  the 
Revelation.  On  account  of  the  stern  and  desolate 
character  of  this  island,  it  was  used,  under  the  Roman 
Empire,  as  a  place  of  banishment,  which  accounts 
for  the  exile  of  John  thither.  The  banishment  of 
the  apostle  took  place  about  the  year  A.  D.  94,  as  is 
generally  supposed,  under  the  Emperor  Domitian ; 
and  from  this  fact  the  date  assigned  to  the  writing 
of  the  Revelation  is  A.  D.  95  or  96. 

The  Cause  of  Banishment.  "  For  the  word  of 
God  and  for  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ."  This 
was  John's  high  crime  and  misdemeanor.  The  ty- 
rant Domitian  who  was  then  invested  with  the 
imperial  purple  of  Rome,  more  eminent  for  his  vices 
than  even  for  his  civil  position,  quailed  before  this 
aged  but  dauntless  apostle.  He  dared  not  permit 
the  promulgation  of  his  pure  gospel  within  the 
bounds  of  his  kingdom.  He  exiled  him  to  lonely 


CHAPTER  /,   VEESE  10.  441 

Patmos,  where,  if  anywhere  this  side  of  death,  he 
might  be  said  to  be  out  of  the  world.  Having  con- 
fined him  to  that  barren  spot,  and  to  the  cruel  labor 
of  the  mines,  the  emperor  doubtless  thought  that 
this  preacher  of  righteousness  was  finally  disposed 
of,  and  that  the  world  would  hear  no  more  of  him. 
So,  doubtless,  thought  the  persecutors  of  John  Bun- 
yan  when  they  had  shut  him  up  in  Bedford  jail. 
But  when  man  thinks  he  has  buried  the  truth  in 
eternal  oblivion,  the  Lord  gives  it  a  resurrection  in 
tenfold  glory  and  power.  From  Bunyan's  dark  and 
narrow  cell  there  blazed  forth  a  spiritual  light,  which, 
next  to  the  Bible  itself,  has  built  up  the  interests  of 
the  gospel ;  and  from  the  barren  isle  of  Patmos, 
where  Domitian  thought  he  had  forever  extin- 
guished at  least  one  torch  of  truth,  there  arose  the 
most  magnificent  revelation  of  all  the  sacred  canon, 
to  shed  its  divine  luster  over  the  whole  Christian 
world  till  the  end  of  time.  And  how  many  will 
revere  the  name  of  the  beloved  disciple,  and  hang 
with  delight  upon  his  rapturous  visions  of  heav- 
enly glory,  who  will  never  learn  the  name  of  the 
monster  who  caused  his  banishment.  Verily,  those 
words  of  the  Scriptures  are  sometimes  applicable, 
even  to  the  present  life,  which  declare  that  "  the 
righteous  shall  be  in  everlasting  remembrance,"  but 
"the  name  of  the  wicked  shall  rot." 

VERSE  10.     I  was  in  the  Spirit  on  the  Lord's  day,  and 
heard  behind  me  a  great  voice,  as  of  a  trumpet. 

In  the  Spirit.     Exiled  though  John  was,  from  all 
of  like  faith,  and  almost  from  the  world,  he  was  not 


442  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

exiled  from  God,  nor  from  Christ,  nor  from  the  Holy 
Spirit,  nor  from  angels.  He  still  had  communion 
with  his  divine  Lord.  And  the  expression,  "  in  the 
Spirit,"  seems  to  denote  the  highest  state  of  spiritual 
elevation  into  which  a  person  can  be  brought  by  the 
Spirit  of  God.  It  marked  the  commencement  of  his 
vision. 

On  the  Lord's  Day.  What  day  is  intended  by 
this  designation  ?  On  this  question  four  different 
positions  are  taken  by  different  classes.  1.  That  it 
means  the  gospel  dispensation.  2.  That  it  means 
the  day  of  Judgment,  the  future  "day  of  the  Lord" 
so  often  brought  to  view  in  the  Scriptures.  3.  That 
it  means  the  first  day  of  the  week ;  and  4.  That  it 
means  the  seventh  day,  the  Sabbath  of  the  Lord. 

To  the  first  of  these  positions  it  is  sufficient  to 
reply  that  the  book  of  Revelation  is  dated  by  the 
writer  John,  in  the  isle  of  Patmos,  and  upon  the 
Lord's  day.  The  writer,  the  place  where  it  was 
written,  and  the  day  upon  which  it  was  dated,  have 
each  a  real  existence,  and  not  merely  a  symbolical  or 
mystical  one.  But  if  we  say  that  the  day  means  the 
gospel  dispensation,  we  give  it  a  symbolical  or  mys- 
tical meaning,  which  is  not  admissible.  Besides,  this 
position  involves  the  absurdity  of  making  John  say, 
sixty-five  years  after  the  death  of  Christ,  that  the 
vision  which  he  records  was  seen  by  him  in  the  gos- 
pel dispensation,  as  though  any  Christian  could  pos- 
sibly be  ignorant  of  that  fact ! 

The  second  position,  that  it  is  the  day  of  Judg- 
ment, cannot  be  correct ;  for  while  John  might  have 


CHAPTER  /,    VEtiSE  10.  443 

had  a  vision  concerning  the  day  of  Judgment,  he 
could  not  have  had  one  on  that  day  when  it  was  yet 
future.  The  word  translated  "  on  "  is  en  («>),  and  is 
denned  by  Robinson,  when  relating  to  time,  as  fol- 
lows :  "  Time  when,  a  definite  point  or  period,  in, 
during,  on,  at,  which  anything  takes  place."  It 
never  means  about  or  concerning.  Hence  they  who 
refer  it  to  the  Judgment  day,  either  contradict  the 
language  used,  making  it  mean  "concerning"  in- 
stead of  "  on,"  or  they  make  John  state,  if  we  may 
coin  a  word,  a  most  distortionate  falsehood  by  saying 
that  he  had  a  vision  upon  the  isle  of  Patmos,  over 
seventeen  hundred  years  ago,  on  the  day  of  Judg- 
ment, which  is  yet  future ! 

For  the  third  view,  that  by  "  Lord's  day "  is 
meant  the  first  day  of  the  week,  a  view  by  far  the 
most  generally  entertained,  we  inquire  for  the  proof. 
What  evidence  have  we  for  this  assertion  ?  The 
text  itself  does  not  define  the  term  Lord's  day; 
hence  if  it  means  the  first  day  of  the  week  we  must 
look  elsewhere  in  the  Bible  for  the  proof  that  that 
day  of  the  week  is  ever  so  designated.  The  only 
other  inspired  writers  that  speak  of  the  first  day  at 
all,  are  Matthew,  Mark,  Luke,  and  Paul ;  and  they 
speak  of  it  simply  as  the  first  day  of  the  week. 
They  never  speak  of  it  in  a  manner  to  distinguish 
it  above  any  other  of  the  six  working  days.  And 
this  is  the  more  remarkable,  viewed  from  the  pop- 
ular standpoint,  as  three  of  them  speak  of  it  at  the 
very  time  when  it  is  said  to  have  become  the  Lord's 
day  by  the  resurrection  of  the  Lord  upon  it,  and 


444  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

two  of  them  mention  it  some  thirty  years  after  that 
event. 

But  it  is  said  that  the  term  "  Lord's  day "  was 
the  usual  term  for  the  first  day  of  the  week  in 
John's  day.  Where  is  the  proof  of  this  ?  It  can- 
not be  found.  But  we  have  proof  of  just  the  con- 
trary. See  "  History  of  the  Sabbath,"  and  "  Com- 
plete Testimony  of  the  Fathers,"  by  Andrews,  pub- 
lished at  the  REVIEW  Office,  Battle  Creek,  Mich.  If 
this  was  the  universal  designation  of  the  first  day 
at  the  time  the  Revelation  was  written,  the  same 
writer  would  most  assuredly  call  it  so  in  all  his 
subsequent  writings.  But  John  wrote  his  gospel 
after  he  wrote  the  Revelation,  and  yet  in  that  gos- 
pel he  calls  the  first  day  of  the  week,  not  Lord's 
day,  but  simply  "  first  day  of  the  week."  For  proof 
that  the  gospel  was  written  at  a  period  subsequent 
to  the  Revelation,  the  reader  is  referred  to  the  fol- 
lowing authorities :  Religious  Encyclopedia,  Barnes' 
Notes  (gospels),  Bib.  Die.,  Cottage  Bible,  Domestic 
Bible,  Mine  Explored,  Union  Bib.  Die.,  Comprehen- 
sive Bible,  Paragraph  Bible,  Bloomfield,  Dr.  Hales, 
Home,  Nevins,  and  Olshausen. 

And  what  still  further  disproves  the  claim  here 
set  up  in  behalf  of  the  first  day,  is  the  fact  that 
neither  the  Father  nor  the  Son  have  ever  claimed 
the  first  day  as  their  own  in  any  higher  sense  than 
they  have  each  or  any  of  the  other  laboring  days. 
They  have  never  placed  any  blessing  upon  it,  nor 
attached  any  sanctity  to  it.  If  it  was  to  be  called 
the  Lord's  day  from  the  fact  of  Christ's  resurrec- 


CHAPTER  7,   VERSE  10.  44,5 

tion  upon  it,  Inspiration  would  doubtless  have  some- 
where so  informed  us.  But  there  are  other  events 
equally  essential  to  the  plan  of  salvation,  as  for  in- 
stance, the  crucifixion  and  the  ascension ;  and  in  the 
absence  of  all  instruction  upon  the  point,  why  not 
call  the  day  upon  which  either  of  these  occurred, 
the  Lord's  day,  as  well  as  the  day  upon  which  he 
rose  from  the  dead  ? 

The  three  positions  already  examined  having 
been  disproved,  the  fourth  now  demands  attention, 
namely,  that  by  Lord's  day  is  meant  the  Sabbath 
of  the  Lord.  And  this  of  itself  is  susceptible  of  the 
clearest  proof:  1.  When  God  gave  to  man  in  the 
beginning  six  days  of  the  week  for  labor,  he  ex- 
pressly reserved  the  seventh  day  to  himself,  placed 
his  blessing  upon  it,  and  claimed  it  as  his  holy  day. 
2.  Moses  told  Israel  in  the  wilderness  of  Sin,  on  the 
sixth  day  of  the  week,  "  To-morrow  is  the  rest  of 
the  holy  Sabbath  unto  the  Lord."  We  come  to 
Sinai  where  the  great  Lawgiver  proclaimed  his 
moral  precepts  in  awful  grandeur ;  and  in  that  su- 
preme code,  he  thus  lays  claim  to  his  hallowed  day : 
"  The  seventh  day  is  the  Sabbath  of  the  Lord  thy 
God;  .  .  .  for  in  six  days  the  Lord  made  heaven 
and  earth,  the  sea,  and  all  that  in  them  is,  and 
rested  the  seventh  day ;  wherefore  the  Lord  blessed 
the  Sabbath  day,  and  hallowed  it."  By  the  prophet 
Isaiah,  about  eight  hundred  years  later,  God  spoke 
as  follows :  "  If  thou  turn  away  thy  foot  from  the 
Sabbath,  from  doing  thy  pleasure  on  MY  HOLY  DAY, 
....  then  shalt  thou  delight  thyself  in  the  Lord," 


446  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

etc.  We  come  down  to  New-Testament  times,  and 
He  who  is  one  with  the  Father,  declares  expressly, 
"The  Son  of  man  is  Lord  also  of  the  Sabbath." 
Can  any  man  deny  that  that  day  is  the  Lord's  day, 
of  which  he  has  emphatically  declared  that  he  is 
the  Lord?  Thus  we  see  that  whether  it  be  the 
Father  or  the  Son  whose  title  is  involved,  no  other 
day  can  be  called  the  Lord's  day  but  the  Sabbath 
of  the  great  Creator. 

One  more  thought,  and  we  leave  this  point : 
There  is  hi  this  dispensation  one  day  distinguished 
above  the  other  days  of  the  week  as  the  Lord's  day. 
How  completely  does  this  great  fact  disprove  the 
claim  put  forth  by  some  that  there  is  no  Sabbath 
in  this  dispensation,  but  that  all  days  are  alike. 
And  by  calling  it  the  Lord's  day,  the  apostle  has 
given  us,  near  the  close  of  the  first  century,  apos- 
tolic sanction  for  the  observance  of  the  only  day 
which  can  be  called  the  Lord's  day,  which  is  the 
seventh  day  of  the  week. 

VERSE  11.  Saying,  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  first  and 
the  last ;  and,  What  thou  seest,  write  in  a  book,  and  send 
it  unto  the  seven  churches  which  are  in  Asia ;  unto  Ephesus, 
and  unto  Smyrna,  and  unto  Pergamos,  and  unto  Thyatira, 
and  unto  Sardis,  and  unto  Philadelphia,  and  unto  Laodicea. 

On  this  verse  Dr.  A.  Clarke  remarks,  "I  am 
Alpha  and  Omega,  the  first  and  the  last,  and]— 
This  whole  clause  is  wanting  in  A  B  C ;  thirty-one 
others ;  some  editions ;  the  Syriac,  Coptic,  ^Ethiopic, 
Armenian,  Slavonic,  Vulgate,  Arethas,  Andreas,  and 
Primasius.  Griesbach  has  left  it  out  of  the  text." 


CHAPTER  /,    VERSES  12-18.  447 

He  also  states  that  the  phrase  "  in  Asia,"  is  wanting 
in  the  principal  HSS.  and  versions,  and  that  Gries- 
bach  has  left  it  out  of  the  text.  Bloomfield  also 
marks  the  clause,  "  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  first 
and  the  last,  and  " — as  without  doubt  an  interpola- 
tion, and  also  the  words  "  in  Asia."  It  would  then 
read,  "  Saying,  What  thou  seest,  write  in  a  book, 
and  send  it  unto  the  seven  churches;  unto  Ephesus," 
etc.  See  translations  of  Whiting,  Wesley,  Ameri- 
can Bible  Union  and  others.  Compare  remarks  on 
verse  4. 

VERSES  12-18.  And  I  turned  to  see  the  voice  that  spake 
with  me.  And  being  turned,  I  saw  seven  golden  candle- 
s:icks  ;  and  in  the  midst  of  the  seven  candlesticks  one  like 
unto  the  Son  of  man,  clothed  with  a  garment  down  to  the 
foot,  and  girt  about  the  paps  with  a  golden  girdle.  His 
head  and  his  hairs  were  white  like  wool,  as  white  as  snow  ; 
and  his  eyes  were  as  a  flame  of  fire  ;  and  his  feet  like  unto 
fine  brass,  as  if  they  burned  in  a  furnace  ;  and  his  voice  as 
the  sound  of  many  waters.  And  he  had  in  his  right  hand 
seven  stars,  and  out  of  his  mouth  went  a  sharp  two-edged 
sword  ;  and  his  countenance  was  as  the  sun  shineth  in  his 
strength.  And  when  I  saw  him,  I  fell  at  his  feet  as  dead. 
And  he  laid  his  right  hand  upon  me,  saying  unto  me,  Fear 
not ;  I  am  the  first  and  the  last ;  I  am  he  that  liveth,  and 
was  dead  ;  and,  behold,  I  am  alive  forevermore,  Amen  ;  and 
have  the  keys  of  hell  and  of  death. 

/  Turned  to  See  the  Voice;  that  is,  the  person 
from  whom  the  voice  came. 

Seven  Golden  Candlesticks.  These  cannot  be  the 
antitype  of  the  golden  candlestick  of  the  ancient  typ- 
ical temple  service ;  for  that  was  but  one  candlestick 


448  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

with  seven  branches.  That  is  ever  spoken  of  in  the 
singular  number.  But  here  are  seven,  more  properly 
lamp-stands  than  simply  candlesticks ;  stands  upon 
which  lamps  are  set  to  give  light  in  the  room.  And 
they  bear  no  resemblance  to  the  ancient  candlestick 
but  are  distinct,  and  so  far  separated  from  each  other 
that  the  Son  of  Man  is  seen  walking  about  in  the 
midst  of  them. 

The  Son  of  Man.  The  central  and  all-attractive 
figure  of  the  scene  now  opened  before  John's  vision, 
is  the  majestic  form  of  one  like  the  Son  of  man,  rep- 
resenting Christ.  The  description  here  given  of  him 
with  his  flowing  robe,  his  hair  white,  not  with  age, 
but  with  the  brightness  of  heavenly  glory,  his  flaming 
eyes,  his  feet  glowing  like  molten  brass,  and  his  voice 
as  the  sound  of  many  waters,  cannot  be  excelled  for 
grandeur  and  sublimity.  Overcome  by  the  presence 
of  this  august  Being,  and  perhaps  under  a  vivid 
sense  of  his  own  unworthiness,  John  fell  at  his  feet  as 
dead ;  but  a  comforting  hand  is  laid  upon  him,  and  a 
voice  of  sweet  assurance  tells  him  to  fear  not.  It  is 
equally  the  privilege  of  Christians  to-day  to  feel  the 
same  hand  laid  upon  them  to  strengthen  and  comfort 
in  hours  of  trial  and  affliction,  and  to  hear  the  same 
voice  saying  unto  them,  Fear  not. 

But  the  most  cheering  assurance  in  all  these  words 
of  consolation,  is  the  declaration  of  this  Exalted  One 
who  is  alive  fore  verm  ore,  that  he  is  the  arbiter  of 
death  and  the  grave.  "  I  have,"  he  says,  "  the  keys 
of  hell  [dffyf,  the  grave]  and  death."  Death  is  a  con- 
quered tyrant.  He  may  ply  his  gloomy  labors  age 


CHAPTER  7,    VEMSEK  19,  20.  449 

after  age,  of  gathering  to  the  grave  the  precious  of 
the  earth,  and  gloat  for  a  season  over  his  apparent 
triumph.  But  he  is  performing  a  fruitless  task  ;  for 
the  key  to  his  dark  prison-house  has  been  wrenched 
from  his  grasp,  and  now  rests  in  the  hands  of  a 
mightier  than  he.  He  is  compelled  to  deposit  his 
trophies  in  a  region  over  which  another  has  absolute 
control ;  and  this  one  is  the  unchanging  friend  and 
the  pledged  redeemer  of  his  people.  Then  grieve  not 
for  the  righteous  dead ;  they  are  in  safe  keeping.  An 
enemy  for  a  while  takes  them  away ;  but  a  friend 
holds  the  key  to  the  place  of  their  temporary  con- 
finement. 

VERSE  19.  Write  the  things  which  thou  has  seen,  and 
the  things  which  are,  and  the  things  which  shall  be  here- 
after. 

A  more  definite  command  is  given  in  this  verse  to 
John  to  write  the  entire  Revelation,  which  would  re- 
late chiefly  to  things  which  were  then  in  the  future. 
In  some  few  instances,  events  then  in  the  past  or  then 
transpiring  were  referred  to ;  but  these  references 
were  simply  for  the  purpose  of  introducing  events  to 
be  fulfilled  after  that  time,  and  so  that  no  link  in  the 
chain  might  be  lacking. 

VERSE  20.  The  mystery  of  the  seven  stars  which  thou 
sawest  in  my  right  hand,  and  the  seven  golden  candlesticks. 
The  seven  stars  are  the  angels  of  the  seven  churches  ;  and 
the  seven  candlesticks  which  thou  sawest  are  the  seven 
churches. 

To  represent  the  Son  of  man  as  holding  in  his  hand 

only  the  ministers  of  seven  literal  churches  in  Asia 
29 


450  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

Minor,  and  walking  in  the  midst  of  only  those  seven 
churches,  would  be  to  reduce  the  sublime  representa- 
tions and  declarations  of  this  and  following  chapters 
into  comparative  insignificance.  The  providential 
care  and  presence  of  the  Lord  are  with,  not  a  speci- 
fied number  of  churches  only,  but  with  all  his  peo- 
ple ;  not  in  the  days  of  John  merely,  but  through  all 
time.  "Lo!  I  am  with  you  alway,"  said  he  to  his 
disciples,  "even  unto  the  end  of  the  world."  See 
remarks  on  verse  4. 


II. 


THE    SEVEN    CHURCHES. 

VERSE  1.  Unto  the  angel  of  the  church  of  Ephesus,  write  : 
These  things  saith  He  that  holdeth  the  seven  stars  in  his 
right  hand,  who  walketh  in  the  midst  of  the  seven  golden 
candlesticks ;  2.  I  know  thy  works,  and  thy  labor,  and  thy 
patience,  and  how  thou  canst  not  bear  them  which  are  evil ; 
and  thou  hast  tried  them  which  say  they  are  apostles,  and 
are  not,  and  hast  found  them  liars :  3.  and  hast  borne,  and 
hast  patience,  and  for  my  name's  sake  hast  labored,  and  hast 
not  fainted.  4.  Nevertheless  I  have  somewhat  against  thee, 
because  thou  hast  left  thy  first  love.  5.  Remember,  there- 
fore, from  whence  thou  art  fallen,  and  repent,  and  do  the 
first  works  ;  or  else  I  will  come  unto  thee  quickly,  and  will 
remove  thy  candlestick  out  of  his  place,  except  thou  repent. 
6.  But  this  thou  hast,  that  thou  hatest  the  deeds  of  the  Nic- 
olaitanes,  which  I  also  hate.  7.  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let 
him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches ;  To  him 
that  overcometh  will  I  give  to  eat  of  the  tree  of  life,  which 
is  in  the  midst  of  the  paradise  of  God. 

The  Church  of  Ephesus.  Some  reasons  why  the 
seven  churches,  or  more  properly  the  messages  to 
them,  should  be  regarded  as  prophetic,  having  their 
application  to  the  seven  periods  of  the  Christian  age, 
have  been  given  in  the  remarks  on  chap.  1:4.  It 
may  here  be  added  that  this  view  is  neither  new  nor 
local.  Benson  quotes  Bishop  Newton  as  saying: — 

(451) 


452  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

"Many  contend,  and  among  them  such  learned 
men  as  More  and  Vitringa,  that  the  seven  epistles  are 
prophetical  of  so  many  successive  periods  and  states 
of  the  church,  from  the  beginning  to  the  conclusion 
of  all." 

Scott  says,  "  Many  expositors  have  imagined  that 
these  epistles  to  the  seven  churches  were  mystical 
prophecies  of  seven  distinct  periods,  into  which  the 
whole  term,  from  the  apostles'  days  to  the  end  of  the 
world,  would  be  divided." 

Although  neither  Newton  nor  Scott  themselves 
hold  this  view,  their  testimony  is  good  as  showing 
that  such  has  been  the  view  of  many  expositors. 
Matthew  Henry  says : — 

"  An  opinion  has  been  held  by  some  commentators 
of  note,  which  may  be  given  in  the  words  of  Vitringa : 
'  That  under  this  emblematical  representation  of  the 
seven  churches  of  Asia,  the  Holy  Spirit  has  delineated 
seven  different  states  of  the  Christian  church,  which 
would  appear  in  succession,  extending  to  the  coming  of 
our  Lord,  and  the  consummation  of  all  things.  That 
this  is  given  in  descriptions  taken  from  the  names, 
states,  and  conditions  of  these  churches,  so  that  they 
might  behold  themselves,  and  learn  both  their  good 
qualities  and  their  defects,  and  what  admonitions  and 
exhortations  were  suitable  for  them.'  Vitringa  has 
given  a  summary  of  the  arguments  which  may  be 
alleged  in  favor  of  this  interpretation.  Some  of  them 
are  ingenious,  but  they  are  not  now  considered  suffi- 
cient to  support  such  a  theory.  Gill  is  one  of  the 
principal  of  the  English  commentators  who  adopt  this 


CHAPTER  //,    VEMSES  1-7.  453 

view,  that  *  they  are  prophetical  of  the  churches  of 
Christ,  in  the  several  periods  of  time,  until  he  ap- 
pears again.'" 

It  appears  from  the  authors  above  cited,  that 
what  has  led  commentators  of  more  modern  times 
to  discard  the  view  of  the  prophetical  nature  of  the 
messages  to  the  seven  churches,  is  the  comparatively 
recent,  and  unscriptural  doctrine  of  the  temporal 
millennium.  The  last  state  of  the  church  as  de- 
scribed in  chap.  3  :  15-17,  was  deemed  to  be  incom- 
patible with  the  glorious  state  of  things  which 
would  exist  here  on  this  earth  for  a  thousand  years, 
with  all  the  world  converted  to  God.  Hence,  in 
this  case,  as  in  many  others,  the  more  scrip tural 
view  is  made  to  yield  to  the  more  pleasing.  The 
hearts  of  men,  as  in  ancient  times,  still  love  smooth 
things;  and  their  ears  are  ever  favorably  open  to 
those  who  will  prophesy  peace. 

The  definition  of  the  word  Ephesus  is,  desirable, 
which  may  well  be  taken  as  a  good  descriptive 
term  of  the  character  and  condition  of  the  church 
in  its  first  state.  Those  early  Christians  had  re- 
ceived the  doctrine  of  Christ  in  its  purity.  They 
enjoyed  the  benefits  and  blessings  of  the  gifts  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  They  were  noted  for  works,  labor, 
and  patience.  In  faithfulness  to  the  pure  principles 
taught  by  Christ,  they  could  not  bear  those  that 
were  evil,  and  they  tried  false  apostles,  searched 
out  their  true  characters,  and  found  them  liars. 
That  this  work  was  done  by  the  literal  and  par- 
ticular church  at  Ephesus,  we  have  no  evidence; 


454  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

there  is  nothing  said  about  it  by  Paul  in  the  epistle 
he  wrote  to  that  church ;  but  it  was  done  by  the 
Christian  church  as  a  whole,  in  that  age,  and  was  a 
most  appropriate  work  at  that  time.  See  Acts  15  ; 
2  Cor.  11  : 13. 

The  Angel  of  the  Church.  The  angel  of  a  church 
must  denote  the  messenger  or  minister  of  that 
church ;  and  as  these  churches  each  cover  a  period 
of  time,  the  angel  of  each  church  must  denote  the 
ministry,  or  all  the  true  ministers  of  Christ  during 
the  period  covered  by  that  church.  The  different 
messages,  though  addressed  to  the  ministers,  cannot 
be  understood  to  be  applicable  to  them  alone ;  but 
they  are  doubtless  addressed  to  the  church  through 
them. 

The  Cause  of  Complaint.  "I  have  somewhat 
against  thee,"  says  Christ,  "  because  thou  hast  left 
thy  first  love."  "  Not  less  worthy  of  warning  than 
departure  from  fundamental  doctrine,  or  from  script- 
ural morality,  is  the  leaving  of  first  love.  The 
charge  here  is  not  that  of  falling  from  grace,  nor 
that  love  is  extinguished,  but  diminished.  No  zeal, 
no  suffering,  can  atone  for  the  want  of  first  love." — 
Thompson.  The  time  never  should  come  in  a  Chris- 
tian's experience,  when,  if  he  was  asked  to  mention 
the  period  of  his  greatest  love  to  Christ,  he  would 
not  say,  The  present  moment.  But  if  such  a  time 
does  come,  then  should  he  remember  from  whence 
he  is  fallen,  meditate  upon  it,  take  time  for  it,  and 
carefully  call  up  the  state  of  his  former  acceptance 
with  God,  then  haste  to  repent,  and  retrace  his 


CHAPTER  II,    VERSES  1-7.  455 

steps  to  that  desirable  position.  Love,  like  faith,  is 
manifested  by  works ;  and  first  love,  when  it  is  at- 
tained, will  always  bring  first  works. 

The  Threatening.  "I  will  come  unto  thee  quickly, 
and  remove  thy  candlestick  out  of  his  place,  except 
thou  repent."  The  coming  here  mentioned  must 
be  a  figurative  coming,  signifying  a  visitation  of 
judgment,  inasmuch  as  it  is  conditional.  The  re- 
moving of  the  candlestick  would  denote  the  taking 
away  from  them  the  light  and  privileges  of  the 
gospel,  and  committing  them  to  other  hands,  unless 
they  should  better  fulfill  the  responsibilities  of  the 
trust  committed  to  them.  But  it  may  be  asked,  on 
the  view  that  these  messages  are  prophetic,  if  the 
candlestick  would  not  be  removed  any  way,  whether 
they  repented  or  not,  as  that  church  was  succeeded 
by  the  next,  to  occupy  the  next  period  ?  and  if  this 
is  not  an  objection  against  regarding  these  churches 
as  prophetic  ?  Answer  :  The  expiration  of  the  pe- 
riod covered  by  any  church  is  not  the  removal  of  the 
candlestick  of  that  church.  The  removal  of  their 
candlestick  would  be  taking  away  from  them  privi- 
leges which  they  might,  and  should,  longer  enjoy. 
It  would  be  the  rejection  of  them  on  the  part  of 
Christ,  as  his  representatives,  to  bear  the  light  of 
his  truth  and  gospel  before  the  world.  And  this 
threatening  would  be  just  as  applicable  to  individ- 
uals as  to  the  church  as  a  body.  How  many  who 
professed  Christianity  during  that  period,  thus 
came  short  and  were  rejected,  we  know  not;  doubt- 
less many.  And  thus  things  would  go  on,  some 


456  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

remaining  steadfast,  some  backsliding,  and  becom- 
ing no  longer  light-bearers  in  the  world,  new  con- 
verts meanwhile  filling  up  the  vacancies  made  by 
death  and  apostasy,  until  the  church  reaches  a  new 
era  in  her  experience,  marked  off  as  another  period 
in  her  history,  and  covered  by  another  message. 

The  Nicolaitanes.  How  ready  is  Christ  to  com- 
mend his  people  for  whatever  good  qualities  they 
may  possess !  If  there  is  anything  of  which  he  ap- 
proves, he  mentions  that  first.  And  in  this  message 
to  the  church  of  Ephesus,  having  first  mentioned 
their  commendable  traits,  and  then  their  failures, 
as  if  unwilling  to  pass  by  any  of  their  good  quali- 
ties, he  mentions  this :  that  they  hated  the  deeds  of 
the  Nicolaitanes,  which  he  also  hated.  In  verse  15, 
the  doctrines  of  the  same  characters  are  condemned. 
It  appears  that  they  were  a  class  of  persons  whose 
deeds  and  dectrines  were  alike  abominable  in  the 
the  sight  of  Heaven.  Their  origin  is  involved  in 
some  doubt.  Some  say  that  they  sprang  from 
Nicolas  of  Antioch,  one  of  the  seven  deacons ;  Acts 
6:5;  some,  that  they  only  attribute  their  origin  to 
him  to  gain  the  prestige  of  his  name;  and  others, 
that  the  sect  took  its  name  from  one  Nicolas  of  a 
later  date,  which  is  probably  the  nearest  correct. 
Concerning  their  doctrines  and  practices,  there  seems 
to  be  a  general  agreement  that  they  held  to  a  com- 
munity of  wives,  regarded  adultery  and  fornication 
as  things  indifferent,  and  permitted  the  eating  of 
things  offered  to  idols.  See  Bel.  Encyc.,  Clarke, 
Kitto,  and  other  authorities. 


CHAPTER  II,   VERSES  1-7.  457 

The  Summons  to  Attention.  "He  that  hath  an 
ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the 
churches."  A  solemn  manner  of  calling  universal 
attention  to  that  which  is  of  general  and  most  mo- 
mentous importance.  The  same  language  is  used  to 
each  of  the  seven  churches.  Christ,  when  upon 
earth,  made  use  of  the  same  form  of  speech  hi  calling 
the  attention  of  the  people  to  the  most  important  of 
his  teachings.  He  used  it  in  reference  to  the  mission 
of  John,  Matt.  11 : 15,  the  parable  of  the  sower,  Matt. 
13  : 9,  and  the  parable  of  the  tares,  setting  forth  the 
end  of  the  world,  verse  43.  It  is  also  used  in  rela- 
tion to  an  important  prophetic  fulfillment  in  Rev. 
13:9. 

The  Promise  to  the  Victor.  To  the  overcomer 
it  is  promised  that  he  shall  eat  of  the  tree  of  life  that 
grows  in  the  midst  of  the  paradise,  or  garden,  of  God. 
Where  is  this  paradise?  Answer.  In  the  third 
Heaven.  Paul  writes  in  2  Cor.  12  : 2,  that  he  knew 
a  man,  referring  to  himself,  caught  up  to  the  third 
Heaven.  In  verse  4,  he  calls  the  same  place  para- 
dise ;  leaving  only  one  conclusion  to  be  drawn,  which 
is,  that  paradise  is  in  the  third  Heaven.  In  this  par- 
adise, it  seems,  is  the  tree  of  life.  There  is  but  one 
tree  of  life  brought  to  view  in  the  Bible.  It  is  men- 
tioned six  times,  three  times  in  Genesis,  and  three 
times  in  the  Revelation ;  but  it  is  used  every  time 
with  the  definite  article  the.  It  is  the  tree  of  life  in 
the  first  book  of  the  Bible,  the  tree  of  life  in  the  last ; 
the  tree  of  life  in  the  '•  paradise  "  (Septuagint)  in  Eden 
at  the  beginning,  and  the  tree  of  life  in  the  paradise 


458  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

of  which  John  now  speaks,  in  Heaven  above.  But 
if  there  is  but  one  tree,  and  that  was  at  first  upon 
the  earth,  it  may  be  asked  how  it  has  now  come  to 
be  in  Heaven  ?  To  which  the  answer  would  be  that 
it  must  have  been  taken  up,  or  translated  to  the  par- 
adise above.  There  is  no  possible  way  that  the  same 
identical  body  which  is  situated  in  one  place  can  be 
located  in  another  but  by  being  transported  bodily 
thither.  And  that  the  tree  of  life  and  paradise  have 
been  removed  from  earth  to  Heaven,  besides  the  nec- 
essary inference  from  this  argument,  there  is  good 
reason  to  believe. 

In  2  Esdras  7  ;  26,  occurs  this  language:  "Behold, 
the  time  shall  come,  that  these  tokens  which  I  have 
told  thee  shall  come  to  pass,  and  the  bride  shall  ap- 
pear, and  she  coming  forth  shall  be  seen  that  now  is 
withdrawn  from  the  earth."  There  is  an  evident 
allusion  here  to  "  the  bride,  the  Lamb's  wife,"  Rev. 
21 : 9,  which  is  the  "holy  city,  New  Jerusalem,"  verse 
10,  Gal.  4  : 26,  in  which  is  the  tree  of  life,  Rev.  22  :  2, 
which  is  now  "withdrawn  from  the  earth,"  but 
which  will,  in  due  time,  appear  and  be  located 
among  men.  Rev.  21 : 2,  3. 

The  following  paragraph  on  this  point,  we  quote 
from  Kurtz'  Sacred  History,  p.  50 : — 

"  The  act  of  God  in  appointing  the  cherubim  '  to 
keep  the  way  of  the  tree  of  life,'  Gen.  3  :  24,  in  the 
garden  of  Eden,  likewise  appears  not  only  in  an  as- 
pect indicating  judicial  severity,  but  also  in  one 
which  conveys  a  promise  full  of  consolation.  The 
blessed  abode  from  which  man  is  expelled,  is  neither 


CHAPTER  II,    VERSES  8-11.  459 

annihilated  nor  even  abandoned  to  desolation  and 
ruin,  but  withdrawn  from  the  earth  and  from  man, 
and  consigned  to  the  care  of  the  most  perfect  crea- 
tures of  God,  in  order  that  it  may  be  ultimately  re- 
stored to  man  when  he  is  redeemed.  Rev.  22  : 2. 
.The  garden,  as  it  existed  before  God  'planted'  or 
adorned  it,  came  under  the  curse,  like  the  remainder 
of  the  earth,  but  the  celestial  and  paradistical  addi- 
tion was  exempted,  and  intrusted  to  the  cherubim. 
The  true  paradise  is  now  translated  to  the  invisible 
world.  At  least  a  symbolical  copy  of  it,  established 
in  the  holy  of  holies  in  the  tabernacle,  was  granted 
to  the  people  of  Israel,  after  the  pattern  which  Moses 
saw  in  the  mount,  Ex.  25  : 9,  40,  and  the  original  it- 
self, as  the  renewed  habitation  of  redeemed  man,  will 
hereafter  descend  to  the  earth.  Rev.  21 : 10." 

To  the  overcomer,  then,  is  promised  a  restoration 
to  more  than  Adam  lost ;  not  to  the  overcomers  of 
that  state  of  the  church,  merely,  but  to  all  overcom- 
ers of  every  age ;  for  in  the  great  rewards  of  Heaven 
there  are  no  restrictions.  Reader,  strive  to  be  an 
overcomer ;  for  he  who  gains  access  to  the  tree  of 
life  in  the  midst  of  the  paradise  of  God,  shall  die  no 
more. 

Time  of  the  first  church,  to  the  close  of  the  first 
century,  or  to  the  death  of  the  last  of  the  apostles. 

VERSE  8.  And  unto  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Smyrna, 
write :  These  things  saith  the  first  and  the  last,  which  was 
dead,  and  is  alive ;  9  ;  I  know  thy  works,  and  tribulation, 
and  poverty  (  but  thou  art  rich)  ;  and  I  know  the  blasphemy 
of  them  which  say  they  are  Jews,  and  are  not,  but  are  the 
synagogue  of  Satan.  10.  Fear  none  of  those  things  which 


460 


THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 


thou  shalt  suffer ;  behold,  the  devil  shall  cast  some  of  you 
into  prison,  that  ye  may  be  tried  ;  and  ye  shall  have  tribula- 
tion ten  days  :  be  thou  faithful  unto  death,  and  I  will  give 
thee  a  crown  of  life.  11.  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear 
what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches  ;  he  that  overcometh 
shall  not  be  hurt  of  the  second  death. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  Lord  introduces  himself 
to  each  church  by  mentioning  some  of  his  character- 
istics which  show  him  to  be  peculiarly  fitted  to  bear 
to  them  the  testimony  which  he  utters.  To  the 
Smyrnian  church,  about  to  pass  through  the  fiery 
ordeal  of  persecution,  he  reveals  himself  as  one  who 
was  dead,  but  is  now  alive.  If  they  should  be  called 
to  seal  their  testimony  with  their  blood,  they  were  to 
remember  that  the  eyas  of  One  were  upon  them,  who 
had  shared  the  same  fate,  but  had  triumphed  over 
death,  and  was  able  to  bring  them  up  again  from  a 
martyr's  grave. 

Poverty  and  Riches.  "I  know  thy  poverty,"  says 
Christ  to  them,  "but  thou  art  rich."  Strange  para- 
dox, this  may  seem  at  first.  But  who  are  the  truly 
rich  in  this  world?  Those  who  are  "rich  in  faith" 
and  "heirs  of  the  kingdom."  The  wealth  of  this 
world,  for  which  men  so  eagerly  strive,  and  so  often 
barter  away  present  happiness  and  future  endless 
life,  is  "coin  not  current  in  Heaven."  A  certain 
writer  has  forcibly  remarked,  "  There  is  many  a  rich 
poor  man,  and  many  a  poor  rich  man." 

Say  They  Are  Jews  and  Are  Not.  That  the  term 
Jew  is  not  here  used  in  a  literal  sense,  is  very  evi- 
dent. It  denotes  some  character  which  was  approved 
by  the  gospel  standard.  Paul's  language  will  make 


CHAPTER  //,    VEHSES  S-li. 


this  point  plain.  He  says,  Roin.  2  :  28,  29:  "For  he 
is  not  a  Jew  which  is  one  outwardly;  neither  is  that 
circumcision  which  is  outward  in  the  flesh  ;  but  he  is 
a  Jew  [hi  the  true  Christian  sense]  which  is  one  in- 
wardly; and  circumcision  is  that  of  the  heart,  in  the 
spirit  and  not  in  the  letter,  whose  praise  is  not  of 
men,  but  of  God."  Again  he  says,  chap.  9:6,  7  : 
"For  they  are  not  all  Israel  which  are  of  Israel; 
neither  because  they  are  the  seed  of  Abraham  are 
they  all  children."  In  Gal.  3  :  28,  29,  Paul  further 
tells  us  that  in  Christ  there  are  no  such  outward  dis- 
tinctions as  Jew  and  Greek,  but  that  if  we  are  Christ's 
then  are  we  Abraham's  seed  [in  the  true  sense],  and 
heirs  according  to  the  promise.  To  say,  as  some  do, 
that  the  term  Jew  is  never  applied  to  Christians,  is 
to  contradict  all  these  inspired  declarations  of  Paul, 
and  the  testimony  of  the  faithful  and  true  Witness 
to  the  Smyrnian  church.  Some  were  hypocritically 
pretending  to  be  Jews  in  this  Christian  sense,  when 
they  possessed  nothing  of  the  requisite  character. 
Such  were  of  the  synagogue  of  Satan. 

Tribulation  Ten  Days.  As  this  message  is  pro- 
phetic, the  time  mentioned  in  it  must  also  be  re- 
garded as  prophetic,  which  would  denote  ten  years. 
And  it  is  a  noticeable  fact  that  the  last  and  most 
bloody  of  the  ten  persecutions  continued  just  ten 
years  under  Diocletian,  from  A.  D.  302  to  A.  D.  312. 
See  Buck's  Theol.  Die.,  pp.  332,  333.  It  would  be 
difficult  to  make  an  application  of  this  language  on 
the  ground  that  these  massages  are  not  prophetic  ; 
for  in  that  case,  only  ten  literal  days  could  be 


462  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

meant ;  and  it  would  not  seem  probable  that  a  per- 
secution of  only  ten  days,  on  only  a  single  church, 
would  be  made  a  matter  of  prophecy.  Again,  apply 
this  persecution  to  any  of  the  notable  persecutions 
of  that  period,  and  how  could  it  be  spoken  of  as  the 
fate  of  one  church  alone  ?  All  the  churches  suffered 
in  them ;  and  where,  then,  would  be  the  propriety 
of  singling  out  one,  to  the  exclusion  of  the  rest,  as 
alone  involved  in  such  a  calamity  ? 

Faithful  unto  Death.  Some  have  endeavored  to 
base  a  criticism  on  the  use  of  the  word  unto,  in- 
stead of  until,  as  though  the  idea  of  time  was  not 
involved.  But  the  original  word,  axgi,  rendered  unto, 
signifies,  primarily,  until.  No  argument,  however, 
can  be  drawn  from  this  for  consciousness  in  death. 
The  vital  point  for  such  an  argument  is  still  lack- 
ing ;  for  it  is  not  affirmed  that  the  crown  of  life  is 
bestowed  immediately  at  death.  "We  must  conse- 
quently look  to  other  scriptures  to  learn  when  the 
crown  of  life  is  given;  and  other  scriptures  very 
fully  inform  us.  Paul  declares  that  this  crown  is 
to  be  given  at  the  day  of  Christ's  appearing,  2  Tim. 
4  :  8  at  the  last  trump,  1  Cor.  15  :  51-54  when  the 
Lord  shall  himself  descend  from  Heaven,  1  Thess.  4 : 
16,  17 ;  when  the  Chief  Shepherd  shall  appear,  says 
Peter,  1  Pet.  5:4;  at  the  resurrection  of  the  just,  says 
Christ,  Luke  14  : 14  and  when  he  should  return  to 
take  his  people  to  the  mansions  prepared  for  them, 
that  they  might  ever  be  with  him.  John  14 : 3. 
Be  thou  faithful  until  death ;  and  having  been  thus 
faithful,  when  the  time  comes  that  the  saints  of 
God  are  rewarded,  you  shall  receive  a  crown  of  life. 


CHAPTER  //,    VERSES  12-17.  463 

The  Overcomers  Reward.  "  He  shall  not  be  hurt 
of  the  second  death."  Is  not  the  language  Christ 
here  uses  a  good  comment  upon  what  he  taught  his 
disciples,  when  he  said,  "And  fear  not  them  which 
kill  the  body,  but  are  not  able  to  kill  the  soul ;  but 
rather  fear  Him  which  is  able  to  destroy  both  soul 
and  body  in  hell "  ?  Matt.  10  :  28.  The  Smyrnians 
might  be  put  to  death  here;  but  the  future  life, 
which  was  to  be  given  them,  man  could  not  take 
away,  and  God  would  not ;  hence  they  were  to  fear 
not  those  who  could  kill  the  body, — to  "  fear  none  of 
the  things  which  they  should  suffer ; "  for  their  eter- 
nal existence  was  sure. 

Smyrna  signifies  myrrh — fit  appellation  for  the 
church  of  God,  while  passing  through  the  fiery  fur- 
nace of  persecution,  and  proving  herself  a  "  sweet- 
smelling  savor  unto  him."  But  we  soon  reach  the 
days  of  Constantine,  when  the  church  presents  a 
new  phase,  rendering  a  far  different  name  and 
another  message  applicable  to  her  history. 

According  to  the  foregoing,  the  date  of  the  Smyr- 
nian  church  would  be  A.  D.  200-323. 

VERSE  12.  And  to  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Pergamos, 
write  :  These  things  saith  He  which  hath  the  sharp  sword 
with  two  edges  :  13  :  I  know  thy  works,  and  where  thou 
dwellest,  even  where  Satan's  seat  is  ;  and  thou  holdest  fast 
my  name,  and  hast  not  denied  my  faith,  even  in  those  days 
wherein  Antipas  was  my  faithful  martyr,  who  was  slain 
among  you,  where  Satan  dwelleth.  14.  But  I  have  a  few 
things  against  thee,  because  thou  hast  there  them  that  hold 
the  doctrine  of  Balaam,  who  taught  Balak  to  cast  a  stumbling- 
block  before  the  children  of  Israel,  to  eat  things  sacrified 


464  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

unto  idols,  and  to  commit  fornication.  15.  So  hast  thou 
also  them  that  hold  the  doctrine  of  the  Nicolaitanes,  which 
thing  I  hate.  16.  Repent  ;  or  else  I  will  come  unto  thee 
quickly,  and  will  fight  against  them  with  the  sword  of  my 
mouth.  17.  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the 
Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches  :  To  him  that  overcometh  will 
I  give  to  eat  of  the  hidden  manna,  and  will  give  him  a  white 
stone,  and  in  the  stone  a  new  name  written,  which  no  man 
knoweth  saving  he  that  receiveth  it. 

Against  the  church  of  Smyrna,  which  has  just 
been  considered,  there  was  no  word  of  condemna- 
tion uttered.  Persecution  is  ever  calculated  to  keep 
the  church  pure,  and  incite  its  members  to  piety  and 
godliness.  But  we  now  reach  a  period  when  influ- 
ences began  to  work,  through  which  errors  and  evils 
were  likely  to  creep  into  the  church. 

Pergamos  signifies  height,  elevation.  The  period 
covered  by  this  church  may  be  located  from  the 
days  of  Constantine,  or  perhaps  rather  from  his 
professed  conversion  to  Christianity,  A.  D.  323,  to 
the  establishment  of  the  papacy,  A.  D.  538.  It  was 
a  period  in  which  the  true  servants  of  God  had  to 
struggle  against  a  spirit  of  worldly  policy,  pride, 
and  popularity,  among  those  who  professed  to  be 
the  followers  of  Christ,  and  against  the  virulent 
workings  of  the  mystery  of  iniquity,  which  finally 
resulted  in  the  full  development  of  the  papal  man 
of  sin. 

Where  Satan's  Seat  Is.  Christ  takes  cognizance 
of  the  unfavorable  situation  of  his  people  during 
this  period.  This  language  is  not  probably  designed 
to  denote  locality.  As  to  place,  Satan  is  everywhere 


CHAPTER  II,    VERSES  12-17.  465 

where  Christians  dwell.  But  there  are  times  and 
seasons  when  he  works  with  special  power;  and 
the  period  covered  by  the  church  of  Pergamos  was 
one  of  these.  During  this  period,  the  doctrine  of 
Christ  was  being  corrupted,  the  mystery  of  iniquity 
was  working,  and  Satan  was  laying  the  very  foun- 
dation of  that  most  stupendous  system  of  wicked- 
ness,— the  papacy.  Here  was  the  falling  away  fore- 
told by  Paul  in  2  Thess.  2  : 3. 

Antipas.  That  a  class  of  persons  are  referred  to 
by  this  name,  and  not  an  individual,  there  is  good 
reason  to  believe ;  for  no  authentic  information  re- 
specting such  an  individual  is  now  to  be  found. 
On  this  point,  Wm.  Miller  says : — 

"  It  is  supposed  that  Antipas  was  not  an  individ- 
ual, but  a  class  of  men  who  opposed  the  power  of 
the  bishops,  or  popes,  in  that  day,  being  a  combina- 
tion of  two  words,  anti,  opposed,  and  Papas,  father, 
or  pope,  and  many  of  them  suffered  martyrdom,  at 
that  time,  in  Constantinople  and  Rome,  where  the 
bishops  and  popes  began  to  exercise  the  power 
which  soon  after  brought  into  subjection  the  kings 
of  the  earth,  and  trampled  on  the  rights  of  the 
church  of  Christ.  And  for  myself,  I  see  no  reason 
to  reject  this  explanation  of  the  word  Antipas  in 
this  text,  as  the  history  of  those  times  is  perfectly 
silent  respecting  such  an  individual  as  is  here 
named."— Millers  Lectures,  pp.  138,  139. 

Watson  says,  "Ancient  ecclesiastical  history  fur- 
nishes no  account  of  this  Antipas."  Dr.  Clark  men- 
tions a  work  as  extant  called  the  "  Acts  of  Antipas," 
30 


466  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

but  gives  us  to  understand  that  it  is  entitled  to  no 
credit. 

The  Cause  of  Censure.  Disadvantages  in  situ- 
ation are  no  excuse  for  wrongs  in  the  church.  Al- 
though this  church  lived  at  a  time  when  Satan  was 
especially  at  work,  it  was  their  duty  to  keep  them- 
selves pure  from  the  leaven  of  his  evil  doctrines. 
Hence,  they  were  censured  for  harboring  in  their 
midst  those  who  held  the  doctrines  of  Balaam  and 
the  Nicolaitaries.  See  remarks  on  the  Nicolaitanes, 
verse  6.  What  the  doctrine  of  Balaam  was,  is 
here  partially  revealed.  He  taught  Balak  to  cast  a 
stumbling-block  before  the  children  of  Israel.  See 
a  full  account  of  his  transactions  and  their  results, 
in  Num.  22-25,  and  31  : 13-16.  It  appears  that 
Balaam  desired  to  curse  Israel  for  the  sake  of  the 
rich  reward  which  Balak  offered  him  for  so  doing. 
But  not  being  permitted  by  the  Lord  to  curse 
them,  he  resolved  to  accomplish  essentially  the 
same  thing,  though  in  a  different  way.  He  there- 
fore counseled  Balak  to  seduce  them,  by  means  of 
the  females  of  Moab,  to  participate  in  the  celebra- 
tion of  the  rites  of  idolatry,  and  all  its  licentious 
accompaniments.  The  plan  succeeded.  The  abom- 
inations of  idolatry  spread  through  the  camp  of 
Israel,  the  curse  of  God  was  called  down  upon  them 
by  their  sins,  and  there  fell  by  the  plague  twenty- 
four  thousand  persons. 

The  doctrines  complained  of  in  the  church  of 
Pergamos  were  of  course  similar  in  their  tendency, 
leading  to  spiritual  idolatry,  and  an  unlawful  con- 


CHAPTER  II,   VERSES  12-17. 


necfcion  between  the  church  and  the  world.  Out 
of  this  spirit  was  finally  produced  the  union  of  the 
civil  and  ecclesiastical  powers,  which  culminated  in 
the  formation  of  the  papacy. 

Repent.  By  disciplining  or  expelling  those  who 
hold  these  pernicious  doctrines.  If  they  did  not  do 
this,  Christ  declared  that  he  would  take  the  matter 
into  his  own  hands,  and  come  unto  them  (in  judg- 
ment) and  fight  against  them  (them  who  held  these 
evil  doctrines)  ;  and  the  whole  church  would  be 
held  responsible  for  the  wrongs  of  those  heretical 
ones  whom  they  harbored  in  their  midst. 

The  Promise.  To  the  overcomer  it  is  promised 
that  he  shall  eat  of  the  hidden  manna,  and  receive 
from  his  approving  Lord  a  white  stone,  with  a  new 
and  precious  name  engraved  thereon.  Concerning 
mamia  that  is  "hidden,"  and  a  new  name  that  no 
one  is  to  know  but  he  that  receiveth  it,  not  much 
in  the  way  of  exposition  should  be  required.  But 
there  has  been  much  conjecture  upon  these  points, 
and  an  allusion  to  these  may  be  expected.  Most 
commentators  apply  the  manna,  white  stone,  and  a 
new  name,  to  spiritual  blessings  to  be  enjoyed  in 
this  life  ;  but,  like  all  the  other  promises  to  the 
overcomer,  we  think  it  refers  wholly  to  theiuture, 
and  is  to  be  given  when  the  time  comes  that  the 
saints  are  to  be  rewarded.  Perhaps  the  following 
from  the  late  H.  Blunt,  is  as  satisfactory  as  any- 
thing that  has  ever  been  written  upon  these  several 
particulars  :  — 

"  It  is  generally  thought  by  commentators  that 


468  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

this  refers  to  an  ancient  judicial  custom  of  drop- 
ping a  black  stone  into  an  urn  when  it  is  intended 
to  condemn,  and  a  white  stone  when  the  prisoner  is 
to  be  acquitted ;  but  this  is  an  act  so  distinct  from 
that  described,  '  I  will  give  thee  a  white  stone/  that 
we  are  disposed  to  agree  with  those  who  think  it 
refers  rather  to  a  custom  of  a  very  different  kind, 
and  not  unknown  to  the  classical  reader ;  according 
with  beautiful  propriety  to  the  case  before  us.  In 
primitive  times,  when  traveling  was  rendered  diffi- 
cult from  want  of  places  of  public  entertainment, 
hospitality  was  exercised  by  private  individuals  to 
a  very  great  extent,  of  which,  indeed,  we  find  fre- 
quent traces  in  all  history,  and  in  none  more  than 
the  Old  Testament.  Persons  who  partook  of  this 
hospitality,  and  those  who  practiced  it,  frequently 
contracted  habits  of  friendship  and  regard  for  each 
other,  and  it  became  a  well-established  custom 
among  the  Greeks  and  Romans  to  provide  their 
guests  with  some  particular  mark,  which  was 
handed  down  from  father  to  son,  and  insured  hos- 
pitality and  kind  treatment  whenever  it  was  pre- 
sented. This  mark  was  usually  a  small  stone  or 
pebble,  cut  in  half,  and  upon  the  halves  of  which 
the  host  and  the  guest  mutually  inscribed  their 
names,  and  then  interchanged  with  each  other. 
The  production  of  this  tessera  was  quite  sufficient 
to  insure  friendship  for  themselves  or  descendants 
whenever  they  traveled  again  in  the  same  direc- 
tion ;  while  it  is  evident  that  these  stones  required 
to  be  privately  kept,  and  the  names  written  upon 


CHAPTER  U,    VERSES  18-29.  469 


them  carefully  concealed,  lest  others  should  obtain 
the  privileges  instead  of  the  persons  for  whom  they 
were  intended. 

"  How  natural,  then,  the  allusion  to  this  custom 
in  the  words  of  the  text,  '  I  will  give  him  to  eat  of 
the  hidden  manna ! '  and  having  done  this,  having 
made  him  partake  of  my  hospitality,  having  recog- 
nized him  as  my  guest  and  friend,  I  will  present 
him  with  the  white  stone,  and  in  the  stone  a  new 
name  written,  which  no  man  knoweth,  save  he 
who  receiveth  it.  I  will  give  him  a  pledge  of  my 
friendship,  sacred  and  inviolable,  known  only  to 
himself." 

On   the   new  name,  Wesley   very  appropriately 


"  Jacob,  after  his  victory,  gained  the  new  name 
of  Israel.  Wouldst  thou  know  what  thy  new 
name  will  be  ?  The  way  to  this  is  plain, — overcome. 
Till  then,  all  thy  inquiries  are  vain.  Thou  wilt 
then  read  it  on  the  white  stone." 

VERSE  18.  And  unto  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Thyatira, 
write  :  These  things  saith  the  Son  of  God,  who  hath  his  eyes 
like  unto  a  flame  of  fire,  and  his  feet  are  like  fine  brass  ;  19 ; 
I  know  thy  works,  and  charity,  and  service,  and  faith,  and  thy 
patience,  and  thy  works  ;  and  the  last  to  be  more  than  the 
first.  20.  Notwithstanding,  I  have  a  few  things  against 
thee,  because  thou  sufierest  that  woman  Jezebel,  which  call- 
eth  herself  a  prophetess,  to  teach  and  to  seduce  my  servants 
to  commit  fornication,  and  to  eat  things  sacrificed  unto  idols. 
21.  And  I  gave  her  space  to  repent  of  her  fornication,  and 
Llie  repented  not.  22.  Behold,  I  will  cast  her  into  a  bed, 
and  them  that  commit  adultery  with  her  into  great  tribula- 
tion, except  they  repent  of  their  deeds.  23.  And  I  will  kill 


470  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

her  children  with  death  ;  and  all  the  churches  shall  know 
that  I  am  He  which  searcheth  the  reins  and  hearts  :  and  I 
will  give  unto  every  one  of  you  according  to  your  works. 
24.  But  unto  you  I  say,  and  unto  the  rest  in  Thyatira, 
as  many  as  have  not  this  doctrine,  and  which  have  not 
known  the  depths  of  Satan,  as  they  speak,  I  will  put  upon 
you  none  other  burden.  25.  But  that  which  ye  have  al- 
ready, hold  fast  till  I  come.  26.  And  he  that  overcometh, 
and  keepeth  my  works  unto  the  end,  to  him  will  I  give 
power  over  the  nations  :  27  :  and  he  shall  rule  them  with  a 
rod  of  iron  ;  as  the  vessels  of  a  potter  shall  they  be  broken 
to  shivers ;  even  as  I  received  of  my  Father.  28.  And  I 
will  give  him  the  morning  star.  29.  He  that  hath  an  ear, 
let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches. 

If  the  period  covered  by  the  Pergamos  church 
has  been  correctly  located,  terminating  with  the 
setting  up  of  the  papacy,  A.  D.  538,  the  most  natu- 
ral division  to  be  assigned  to  the  church  of  Thya- 
tira would  be  the  time  of  the  continuance  of  this 
blasphemous  power  through  the  1260  years  of  its 
supremacy;  or,  from  A.  D.  538,  to  A.  D.  1798. 

Thyatira  signifies,  "sweet  savor  of  labor,"  or 
"sacrifice  of  contrition."  This  would  well  describe 
the  state  of  the  church  of  Jesus  Christ  during  the 
long  period  of  papal  triumph  and  persecution. 
This  age  of  dreadful  tribulation  upon  the  church 
such  as  never  was  (Matt-.  24:21),  improved  the  real 
condition  of  believers.  Hence,  they  receive  for 
their  works,  charity,  service,  faith  and  patience,  the 
commendation  of  Him  whose  eyes  are  as  a  flame  of 
fire.  And  works  are  then  again  mentioned,  as 
though  worthy  of  a  double  commendation.  And 
the  last  were  more  than  the  first.  There  had  been 


CHAPTER  II,   VERSES  18-29. 


an  improvement  in  their  condition,  a  growth  in 
grace,  an  increase  in  all  these  elements  of  Chris- 
tianity. This  church  is  the  only  one  that  is  com- 
mended for  an  improvement  in  spiritual  things. 
But,  as  in  the  church  of  Pergamos,  unfavorable  cir- 
cumstances were  no  apology  for  false  doctrines  in 
the  church,  so  in  this  church,  no  amount  of  labor, 
charity,  service,  faith  or  patience,  could  compensate 
for  a  like  sin.  A  rebuke  is  therefore  given  them 
for  suffering  in  their  midst  — 

That  Woman  Jezebel.  As  in  the  preceding  church, 
Antipas  denoted,  not  an  individual,  but  a  class  of 
persons  ;  so,  doubtless,  Jezebel  is  here  to  be  under- 
stood in  the  same  sense.  Watson's  Bible  Dictionary 
says,  "The  name  of  Jezebel  is  used  proverbially. 
Rev.  2  :  20."  Wm.  Miller,  Lectures,  p.  142,  speaks 
as  follows  :  — 

"Jezebel  is  a  figurative  name  alluding  to  Ahab's 
wife,  who  slew  the  prophets  of  the  Lord,  led  her 
husband  into  idolatry,  and  fed  the  prophets  of  Baal 
at  her  own  table.  A  more  striking  figure  could  not 
have  been  used  to  denote  the  papal  abominations. 
See  1  Kings,  chaps.  18,  19,  and  21.  It  is  very 
evident  from  history,  as  well  as  from  this  verse, 
that  the  church  of  Christ  did  suffer  some  of  the 
papal  monks  to  preach  and  teach  among  them.  See 
the  '  History  of  the  Waldenses.'  " 

The  Comprehensive  Commentary  has  the  follow- 
ing remark  upon  verse  23  :  "  Children  are  spoken 
of,  which  confirms  the  idea  that  a  sect  and  its  prose- 
lytes are  meant."  The  judgments  here  threatened 


472  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

against  this  woman  are  in  harmony  with  the  threat- 
enings  in  other  parts  of  this  book  against  the 
Romish  church,  under  the  symbol  of  a  corrupt 
woman,  the  mother  of  harlots  and  abominations  of 
the  earth.  See  chaps.  17-19.  The  death  which  is 
threatened  is  doubtless  the  second  death,  at  the  end 
of  the  one  thousand  years  of  Rev.  20,  when  the 
righteous  retribution  from  the  Searcher  of  "the 
reins  and  hearts "  of  all  men  will  be  given.  And 
further,  the  declaration,  "  I  will  give  unto  every  one 
of  you  according  to  your  works,"  is  proof  that  the 
address  to  this  church  looks  forward  prophetically 
to  the  final  reward  or  punishment  of  all  accountable 
beings. 

And  all  the  Churches  Shall  Know,  etc.  It  has 
been  argued  from  this  expression  that  these  churches 
could  not  denote  seven  successive  periods  of  the 
gospel  age,  but  must  exist  contemporaneously,  as 
otherwise  all  the  churches  could  not  know  that 
Christ  was  the  searcher  of  the  reins  and  hearts  from 
seeing  his  judgments  upon  Jezebel  and  her  children. 
But  when  is  it  that  all  the  churches  are  to  know 
this  ?  It  is  when  these  children  are  punished  with 
death.  And  if  this  is  at  the  time  when  the  second 
death  is  inflicted  upon  all  the  wicked,  then,  indeed, 
will  "  all  the  churches  "  as  they  behold  the  infliction 
of  the  Judgment,  know  that  no  secret  thing,  no 
evil  thought  or  purpose  of  the  heart,  has  escaped 
the  knowledge  of  Him  who,  with  eyes  like  flames 
of  fire,  searches  the  hearts  and  reins  of  men. 

/  Will  Lay  upon   You  none  other  Burden.     A 


CHAPTER  II,   VERSES  18-29.  473 

respite  promised  the  church,  if  we  rightly  appre- 
hend, from  the  burden  so  long  her  portion, — the 
weight  of  papal  oppression.  It  cannot  be  applied 
to  the  reception  of  new  truths ;  for  truth  is  not  a 
burden  to  any  accountable  being.  But  the  days  of 
tribulation  that  came  upon  that  church,  were  to  be 
shortened  for  the  elect's  sake.  Matt.  24  :  22.  "  They 
shall  be  holpen,"  says  the  prophet,  "  with  a  little 
help."  Dan.  11:34.  "And  the  earth  helped  the 
woman,"  says  John.  Rev.  12  :  6. 

Hold  Fast  till  I  Come.  These  are  the  words 
of  "  the  Son  of  God,"  and  bring  to  our  view  an  un- 
conditional coming.  To  the  churches  of  Ephesus 
and  Pergamos,  certain  comings  were  threatened  on 
conditions :  "  Repent,  or  else  I  will  come  unto  thee," 
etc.,  implying  visitations  of  judgment.  But  here, 
a  coming  of  altogether  a  different  nature  is  brought 
to  view.  It  is  not  a  threatening  of  punishment.  It 
is  suspended  upon  no  conditions.  It  is  set  before 
the  believer  as  a  matter  of  hope,  and  can  refer  to 
no  other  event  but  the  future  second  advent  of  the 
Lord  in  glory,  when  the  Christian's  trials  will  cease, 
and  his  efforts  in  the  race  for  life,  and  his  warfare 
for  a  crown  of  righteousness,  be  rewarded  with  ever- 
lasting success. 

This  church  brings  us  down  to  the  time  when 
the  more  immediate  signs  of  the  soon  coming  ad- 
vent began  to  be  fulfilled.  In  1780,  eighteen  years 
before  the  close  of  this  period,  the  predicted  signs 
in  the  sun  and  moon  were  fulfilled.  See  on  chap. 
6  : 12.  And  in  reference  to  these  signs,  the  Saviour 


474  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

said:  "And  when  these  things  begin  to  come  to 
pass,  then  look  up  and  lift  up  your  heads ;  for  your 
redemption  draweth  nigh."  In  the  history  of  this 
church  we  reach  a  point  within  eighty-two  years  of 
the  present  time  (1880),  and  must  conclude  that 
some  whose  religious  experience  commenced  back 
under  that  period,  will  live  to  behold  the  Lord  ap- 
pear to  consummate  the  hope  of  his  people.  To 
such,  the  exhortation  is,  "  Hold  fast  till  I  come." 

Till  the  End.  The  end  of  the  Christian  age. 
"He  that  shall  endure  to  the  end,"  says  Christ, 
"  the  same  shall  be  saved."  Matt.  24  : 13.  Is  not 
here  a  like  promise  to  those  who  keep  Christ's 
works,  do  the  things  he  has  enjoined, — keep  the 
faith  of  Jesus  ?  Chap.  14  : 12. 

Power  over  the  Nations.  In  this  world,  the 
wicked  bear  rule,  and  the  servants  of  Christ  are  of 
no  esteem.  But  the  time  is  coming  when  right- 
eousness will  be  in  the  ascendency ;  when  all  un- 
godliness will  be  seen  in  its  true  light,  and  be  at  a 
heavy  discount;  and  when  the  scepter  of  power 
will  be  in  the  hands  of  the  people  of  God.  This 
promise  will  be  explained  by  the  following  facts 
and  scriptures:  1.  The  nations  are  to  be  given  by 
the  Father  into  the  hands  of  Christ,  to  be  ruled 
with  a  rod  of  iron,  and  dashed  in  pieces  like  a  pot- 
ter's vessel.  Ps.  2  :  8,  9.  2.  Associated  with  Christ 
when  he  thus  enters  upon  his  own  work  of  power 
and  judgment,  are  to  be  his  saints.  Rev.  3 : 21. 
3.  They  are  to  reign  with  him  in  this  capacity  for 
one  thousand  years.  Chap.  20  :  4.  4.  During  this 


CHAPTER  II,   VERSES  18-29.  475 

period,  the  degree  of  judgment  upon  wicked  men 
and  evil  angels  is  determined.  1  Cor.  6  :  2,  3.  5. 
At  the  end  of  the  one  thousand  years,  they  have 
the  honor  of  sharing  with  Christ  in  the  execution 
of  the  sentence  written.  Ps.  149  :  9. 

The  Morning  Star.  Christ  says  in  chap.  22  : 16, 
that  he  is  himself  the  morning  star.  The  morning 
star  is  the  immediate  forerunner  of  the  day.  What 
is  here  called  the  morning  star,  is  called  the  day- 
star,  in  2  Pet.  1 : 19,  where  it  is  associated  with  the 
dawn  of  the  day.  "  Until  the  day  dawn,  and  the 
day-star  arise."  During  the  saint's  weary  night  of 
watching,  they  have  the  word  of  God  to  shed  its 
needful  light  upon  their  path.  But  when  the  day- 
star  shall  arise  in  their  hearts,  or  the  morning  star 
be  given  to  the  overcomers,  they  will  be  taken  into 
so  close  a  relation  to  Christ  that  their  hearts  will 
be  fully  illuminated  with  his  Spirit,  and  they  will 
walk  in  his  light.  Then  they  will  no  longer  need 
the  sure  word  of  prophecy,  which  now  shines  as  a 
light  in  a  dark  place.  Hasten  on,  O  glorious  hour ! 
when  the  light  of  Heaven's  bright  day  shall  rise 
upon  the  pathway  of  the  little  flock,  and  beams  of 
glory  from  the  eternal  world  shall  gild  their  ban- 
ners. 


III. 


THE  SEVEN  CHURCHES  CONTINUED. 

VERSE  1.  And  unto  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Sardis 
write  :  These  things  saith  He  that  hath  the  seven  Spirits  of 
God,  and  the  seven  stars ;  I  know  thy  works,  that  thou  hast 
a  name  that  thou  livest,  and  art  dead.  2.  Be  watchful,  and 
strengthen  the  things  which  remain,  that  are  ready  to  die  ; 
for  I  have  not  found  thy  works  perfect  before  God.  3.  Re- 
member, therefore,  how  thou  hast  received,  and  heard,  and 
hold  fast,  and  repent.  If  therefore,  thou  shalt  not  watch,  I 
will  come  on  thee  as  a  thief,  and  thou  shalt  not  know  what 
hour  I  will  come  upon  thee.  4.  Thou  hast  a  few  names 
even  in  Sardis  which  have  not  defiled  their  garments,  and 
they  shall  walk  with  me  in  white,  for  they  are  worthy.  5. 
He  that  overcometh,  the  same  shall  be  clothed  in  white  rai- 
ment, and  I  will  not  blot  out  his  name  out  of  the  book  of 
life,  but  I  will  confess  his  name  before  my  Father,  and  be- 
fore his  angels.  6.  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what 
the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches. 

If  the  preceding  churches  have  been  correctly  ap- 
plied, the  period  covered  by  the  church  of  Sardis, 
must  commence  about  the  year  1798. 

Sardis  signifies,  "  prince  or  song  of  joy ;  or,  that 
which  remains."  We  then  have  before  us,  as  con- 
stituting this  church,  the  reformed  churches  from 
the  date  above-named  to  the  great  movement  which 
marked  another  era  in  the  history  of  the  people  of 

God.  (476) 


CHAPTER  III,   VERSES  1-6.  477 

The  great  fault  found  with  this  church  is,  that  it 
has  a  name  to  live,  but  is  dead.  And  what  a  high 
position,  in  a  worldly  point  of  view,  has  the  nominal 
church  occupied  during  this  period  !  Look  at  her 
high-sounding  titles,  and  her  favor  with  the  world. 
But  how  has  pride  and  popularity  grown  apace, 
until  spirituality  is  destroyed,  the  line  of  distinction 
between  the  church  and  the  world  is  obliterated,  and 
these  different  popular  bodies  are  churches  of  Christ 
only  in  name. 

This  church  was  to  hear  the  proclamation  of  the 
doctrine  of  the  second  advent,  as  we  learn  from  verse 
3 :  "  If,  therefore,  thou  shalt  not  watch,  I  will  come 
on  thee  as  a  thief.'*  This  implies  that  the  doctrine 
of  the  advent  would  be  proclaimed,  and  the  duty  of 
watching  enjoined  upon  the  church.  The  coming  is 
unconditional  ;  the  manner  only  in  which  it  would 
come  upon  them  is  conditional.  Their  not  watching 
would  not  prevent  the  coming  of  the  Lord  ;  but  by 
watching  they  could  avoid  being  overtaken  as  a 
thief.  It  is  only  to  those  who  are  in  this  condition 
that  the  day  of  the  Lord  comes  unawares.  "Ye, 
brethren,"  says  Paul,  "  are  not  in  darkness  that  that 
day  should  overtake  you  as  a  thief."  1  Thess.  5  :  4. 

A  Feiv  Names  even  in  Sardis.  This  language 
would  seem  to  imply  a  period  of  unparalleled  worldli- 
ness  in  the  church.  But  even  in  this  state  of  things, 
there  are  some  whose  garments  are  not  defiled,  some 
who  have  kept  themselves  free  from  this  contam- 
inating influence.  James  says,  "  Pure  religion,  and 
undefiled  before  God  and  the  Father  is  this :  To  visit 


478 


THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 


the  fatherless  and  widows  in  their  affliction,  and  to 
keep  himself  unspotted  from  the  world!'  James 
1:27. 

Shall  Walk  ivith  Me  in  White.  The  Lord  does 
not  overlook  his  people  in  any  place,  however  few 
their  numbers.  Lonely  Christian,  with  none  of  like 
precious  faith  with  whom  to  commune,  do  you  ever 
feel  as  though  the  hosts  of  the  unbelievers  would  swal- 
low you  up  ?  You  are  not  unnoticed  or  forgotten 
by  your  Lord.  The  multitude  of  the  wicked  around 
you  cannot  be  so  great  as  to  hide  you  from  his  view. 
And  if  you  keep  yourself  unspotted  from  surround- 
iricr  evil,  the  promise  is  sure  to  you.  You  shall  be 
clothed  in  white,  the  white  raiment  of  the  overcomer, 
and  walk  with  your  Lord  in  glory.  See  chap.  7  : 
17  :  "For  the  Lamb  which  is  in  the  midst  of  the 
throne  shall  feed  them,  and  shall  lead  them  unto 
living  fountains  of  waters ;  and  God  shall  wipe  away 
all  tears  from  their  eyes." 

White  Raiment.  Being  clothed  with  white  rai- 
ment is  explained  in  other  scriptures  to  be  a  symbol 
of  exchanging  iniquity  for  righteousness.  See  Zech, 
3  : 4,  5.  "  Take  away  the  filthy  garments  from 
him,"  explained  by  the  language  that  follows,  "  Be- 
hold I  have  caused  thine  iniquity  to  pass  from  thee." 
"  The  fine  linen,"  or  the  white  raiment,  "  is  the  right- 
eousness of  saints."  Rev.  19:8. 

The  Book  of  Life.  Object  of  thrilling  interest  ! 
Vast  and  ponderous  volume,  in  which  are  enrolled 
the  names  of  all  the  candidates  for  everlasting  life ! 
And  is  there  danger,  after  having  our  names  once 


CHAPTER  III,    VEHXES  1-6.  479 

entered  in  that  heavenly  journal,  of  having  them 
blotted  out?  Yes;  or  this  warning  would  never 
have  been  penned.  Paul,  even,  feared  that  he  him- 
self might  become  a  castaway.  1  Cor.  9  :  27.  It  is 
only  by  our  being  overcomers  at  last  that  our  names 
can  be  retained  in  that  book.  But  all  will  not  over- 
come. Their  names,  of  course,  will  be  blotted  out. 
And  reference  is  made  to  some  definite  point  of  time 
in  the  future  fer  this  work.  "  I  will  not"  says 
Christ,  in  the  future,  blot  out  the  names  of  the  over- 
cornel's,  which  is  also  saying,  by  implication,  that  at 
the  same  time  he  will  blot  out  the  names  of  those 
who  do  not  overcome.  Is  not  this  the  same  time 
mentioned  by  Peter,  in  Acts  3:19:  "  Repent  ye,  there- 
fore, and  be  converted,  that  your  sins  may  be  blotted 
out,  when  the  times  of  refreshing  shall  come  from 
the  presence  of  the  Lord  "  ?  To  say  to  the  overcomer 
that  his  name  shall  not  be  blotted  out  of  the  book  of 
life,  is  to  say  also  that  his  sins  shall  be  blotted  out  of 
the  book  wherein  they  are  recorded,  to  be  remembered 
against  him  no  more  forever.  Heb.  8:12.  And  this 
is  to  be  when  the  times  of  refreshing  come  from  the 
presence  of  the  Lord ;  may  we  not  also  add,  in  that 
other  language  of  Peter,  when  the  day-star  shall  arise 
in  our  hearts,  or  the  morning  star  be  given  to  the 
church,  just  previous  to  the  advent  of  the  Lord  to 
usher  in  the  glorious  day  ?  2  Pet.  1:19;  Rev.  2  :  28. 
And  when  that  hour  of  decision  shall  come,  which  can- 
not now  be  a  great  way  in  the  future,  how,  reader, 
will  it  be  with  you  ?  Will  your  sins  be  blotted  out, 
and  your  name  retained  in  the  book  of  life  ?  or  will 


480  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

your  name  be  blotted  out  of  the  book  of  life,  and 
your  sins  left  to  bear  their  fearful  record  against  you  ? 
The  Presentation  in  Glory.  "  I  will  confess  his 
name  before  my  Father,  and  before  his  angels." 
Christ  taught  here  upon  earth,  that  as  men  confessed 
or  denied,  despised  or  honored,  him  here,  they  would 
be  confessed  or  denied  by  him  before  his  Father  in 
Heaven  and  the  holy  angels.  Matt.  10  :  32,  33 ; 
Mark  8  :  38  ;  Luke  12  : 8,  9.  And  who  can  fathom 
the  honor  of  being  approved  before  the  heavenly 
hosts  ?  Who  can  conceive  the  bliss  of  that  moment 
when  we  shall  be  owned  by  the  Lord  of  life  before 
his  Father,  as  those  who  have  done  his  will,  fought 
the  good  fight,  run  the  race,  honored  him  before  men, 
overcome,  and  whose  names  are  worthy,  through  his 
merits,  of  standing  upon  the  imperiohable  record  of 
the  book  of  life  forever  and  ever  ! 

VERSE  7.  And  to  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Philadelphia, 
write  :  These  things  saith  He  that  is  holy,  He  that  is  true,  He 
that  hath  the  key  of  David,  He  that  openeth  and  no  man 
shutteth,  and  shutteth  and  no  man  openeth,  8,  I  know  thy 
works  ;  behold  I  have  set  before  thee  an  open  door,  and  no 
man  can  shut  it ;  for  thou  hast  a  little  strength,  and  hast 
kept  my  word,  and  hast  not  denied  my  name.  9.  Behold,  I 
will  make  them  of  the  synagogue  of  Satan,  which  say  they 
are  Jews  and  are  not,  but  do  lie  ;  behold,  I  will  make  them 
to  come  and  worship  before  thy  feet,  and  to  know  that  I 
have  loved  thee.  10.  Because  thou  hast  kept  the  word  of 
my  patience,  I  also  will  keep  thee  from  the  hour  of  tempta- 
tion, which  shall  come  upon  all  the  world  to  try  them  that 
dwell  upon  the  earth.  11.  Behold,  I  come  quicUy;  hold 
that  fast  which  thou  hast,  that  no  man  take  thy  crown.  12. 
Him  that  overcometh,  will  I  mako  a  pillar  in  the  temple  of 


CHAPTER  III,    VERSES  7-13.  481 

my  God,  and  he  shall  go  no  more  out  ;  and  I  will  write  upon 
him  the  name  of  my  God,  and  the  name  of  the  city  of  my 
God,  which  is  New  Jerusalem,  which  cometh  down  out  of 
Heaven  from  my  God  ;  and  I  will  write  upon  him  my  new 
name.  13.  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the 
Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches. 

Philadelphia  signifies  brotherly  love,  and  expresses 
the  position  and  spirit  of  those  who  received  the  Ad- 
vent message  up  to  the  autumn  of  1844.  As  they 
came  out  of  the  sectarian  churches,  they  left  party 
names  and  party  feelings  behind,  and  every  heart 
beat  in  union,  as  they  gave  the  alarm  to  the  churches 
and  to  the  world,  and  pointed  to  the  coming  of  the 
Son  of  man  as  the  believer's  true  hope.  Selfishness 
and  covetousness  were  laid  aside,  and  a  spirit  of  con- 
secration and  sacrifice  was  cherished.  The  Spirit  of 
God  was  with  every  true  believer,  and  his  praise 
upon  every  tongue.  Those  who  were  not  in  that 
movement  know  nothing  of  the  deep  searching  of 
heart,  consecration  of  all  to  God,  peace,  joy  in  the 
Holy  Spirit,  and  pure,  fervent  love  for  each  other, 
which  true  believers  then  enjoyed.  Those  who  were 
in  that  movement  are  aware  that  language  would 
fail  to  describe  that  holy,  happy  state. 

The  Key  of  David.  A  key  is  a  symbol  of  power. 
The  Son  of  God  is  the  rightful  heir  to  David's  throne ; 
and  he  is  about  to  take  to  himself  his  great  power 
and  reign  ;  hence  he  is  represented  as  having  the  key 
of  David.  The  throne  of  David,  or  of  Christ,  on 
which  he  is  to  reign,  is  included  in  the  capital  of  his 

kingdom,  the  New  Jerusalem,  now  above,  but  which 
31 


482  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  ItEVELATION. 

is  to  be  located  on  this  earth,  where  he  is  to  reign  for- 
ever and  ever.     Rev.  21 :  1-5  ;  Luke  1 :  32,  33. 

He  that  Openeth  and  no  Man  Shutteth,  etc.  To 
understand  this  language,  it  is  necessary  to  look  at 
Christ's  position  and  work  as  connected  with  his  min- 
istry in  the  sanctuary  or  true  tabernacle  above.  Heb. 
8:2.  A  figure,  or  pattern  of  this  heavenly  sanctu- 
ary once  existed  here  upon  earth  in  the  sanctuary 
built  by  Moses.  Ex.  25  :  8,  9  ;  Acts  7  :  44 ;  Heb.  9  : 
1:  21,  23,  24.  The  earthly  building  had  two  apart- 
ments,— the  holy  place  and  the  most  holy  place.  Ex. 
26  :  33, 34.  In  the  first  apartment  were  the  candle- 
stick, the  table  of  shew-bread,  and  the  altar  of  in- 
cense. In  the  second,  were  the  ark  which  contained 
the  tables  of  the  covenant,  or  ten  commandments,  and 
the  cherubim.  Heb.  9  :  1-5.  Likewise  the  sanctu- 
ary in  which  Christ  ministers  in  Heaven  has  two 
apartments.  Heb.  9  :  24.  See  also  verses  8  and  12, 
and  chap.  10  : 19,  in  each  of  which  texts  the  words 
rendered  "  holiest "  and  "  holy  place  "  are  plural  in 
the  original,  and  should  be  rendered  holy  places. 
And  as  all  things  were  made  after  their  pattern,  the 
heavenly  sanctuary  has  also  furniture  similar  to  that 
of  the  worldly.  For  the  antitype  of  the  golden  can- 
dlestick and  altar  of  incense  in  the  first  apartment, 
see  Rev.  4:5;  8:3;  and  for  the  antitype  of  the  ark 
of  the  covenant,  with  its  ten  commandments,  see  Rev. 
11  : 19.  In  the  worldly  sanctuai  y  the  priests  min- 
istered. Ex.  28  :  41,  43 ;  Heb.  9  :  6,  7  ;  13  : 11,  etc. 
The  ministry  of  these  priests  was  a  shadow  of  the 
ministry  of  Christ  in  the  sanctuary  in  Heaven. 


CHAPTER  III,    VERSES  7-1S.  483 

Heb.  8  :  4,  5.  A  complete  round  of  service  was  per- 
formed in  the  earthly  tabernacle  once  every  year. 
Heb.  9  :  7.  But  in  the  tabernacle  above,  the  service 
is  performed  once  for  all.  Heb.  7  :  27 ;  9  : 12.  At 
the  close  of  the  yearly  typical  service,  the  high  priest 
opened  the  door  of  the  most  holy  place  of  the  sanct- 
uary, to  go  in  and  make  an  atonement,  called  the 
cleansing  of  the  sanctuary.  Lev.  16  :  20,  30,  33  ; 
Eze.  45  : 18.  At  the  same  time  the  service  of  the 
first  apartment,  or  holy  place,  ceased.  Lev.  16  : 17. 
A  similar  opening  and  shutting,  or  change  of  minis- 
tration, must  be  accomplished  by  Christ,  when  the 
time  comes  for  the  cleansing  of  the  heavenly  sanctu- 
ary. And  the  time  did  come  for  this  service  to  com- 
mence at  the  close  of  the  2300  days  in  1844.  To 
this  event  the  opening  and  shutting  mentioned  in 
the  text  under  consideration  can  appropriately  ap- 
ply ;  the  opening  being  the  opening  of  his  ministra- 
tion in  the  most  holy  place,  and  the  shutting,  its  cessa- 
tion in  the  first  apartment,  or  holy  place.  Dan.  8  : 14. 

Verse  9  probably  applies  to  those  who  do  not  keep 
pace  with  the  advancing  light  of  truth,  and  who  op- 
pose those  that  do.  Such  shall  yet  be  made  to  feel 
and  confess  that  God  loves  those  who,  not  rejecting 
the  past  fulfillments  of  his  word,  nor  stereotyping 
themselves  in  a  creed,  continue  to  advance  in  the 
knowledge  of  his  truth. 

The  Word  of  My  Patience.  Says  John  in  Rev. 
14:12,  "Here  is  the  patience  of  the  saints;  here 
are  they  that  keep  the  commandments  of  God  and 
the  faith  of  Jesus."  Those  who  now  live  in  pa- 


484  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

tient,  faithful  obedience  to  the  commandments  of 
God  and  the  faith  of  Jesus,  will  be  kept  in  the 
hour  of  temptation  and  peril  just  before  us.  See 
chap.  13  : 13-17. 

Behold,  I  Come  Quickly.  The  second  coming  of 
Christ  is  here  again  brought  to  view,  and  with 
more  startling  emphasis  than  in  any  of  the  pre- 
ceding messages.  The  nearness  of  that  event  is 
here  urged  upon  the  attention  of  believers.  The 
message  applies  to  a  period  when  that  great  event 
is  impending.  And  in  this  we  have  most  indu- 
bitable evidence  of  the  prophetic  nature  of  these 
messages.  What  is  said  of  the  first  three  churches 
contains  no  allusion  to  the  second  coming  of  Christ, 
from  the  fact  that  they  do  not  cover  a  period  dur- 
ing which  that  event  could  be  scripturally  expected. 
But  we  come  down  to  the  Thyatiran  church,  a  few 
of  whose  members  would  probably  live  to  behold 
the  advent  of  the  Lord  in  glory,  and,  as  if  then  the 
time  had  come  when  this  great  hope  was  just  be- 
ginning to  dawn  upon  the  church,  the  mind  is  car- 
ried forward  to  it  by  a  single  allusion  :  "  Hold  fast 
till  I  come."  We  come  down  to  the  next  state  of 
the  church,  the  Sardis,  the  church  which  occupies 
a  position  still  nearer  that  event,  and  the  great 
proclamation  is  brought  to  view  which  was  to  her- 
ald it,  and  the  duty  of  watching  enjoined  upon  the 
church ;  "  If  thou  shalt  not  watch,  I  will  come  on 
thee  as  a  thief."  We  reach  the  Philadelphian 
church,  still  further  down  in  the  stream  of  time, 
and  the  nearness  of  the  *ame  great  event  then 


CHAPTER  III,   VERSES  7-13.  485 

leads  Him  who  "is  holy  and  true,"  to  utter  the 
stirring  declaration,  "Behold,  I  come  quickly." 
How  evident  is  it  from  all  this  that  these  churches 
occupy  positions  successively  nearer  the  great  day 
of  the  Lord,  as  in  each  succeeding  one,  and  in  a 
continually  increasing  ratio,  this  great  event  is 
made  more  and  more  prominent,  and  more  definitely 
and  impressively  urged  upon  the  attention  of  the 
church. 

Faithfulness  Enjoined.  "Hold  that  fast  which 
thou  hast,  that  no  man  take  thy  crown."  Not  that 
by  our  faithfulness  we  are  depriving  any  one  else 
of  a  crown;  but  the  verb  rendered,  to  take,  has  a 
number  of  definitions,  one  of  which  is  "to  take 
away,  snatch  from,  deprive  of"  Hold  fast  that 
thou  hast,  that  no  man  deprive  you  of  the  crown  of 
life.  Let  no  one,  and  no  thing,  induce  you  to  yield 
up  the  truth,  or  pervert  you  from  the  right  ways  of 
the  Lord ;  for  by  so  doing  they  will  cause  you  to 
lose  the  reward. 

A  Pillar  in  ike  Temple.  The  overcomer  in  this 
address  has  the  promise  of  being  made  a  pillar  in 
the  temple  of  God,  and  going  no  more  out.  The 
temple  here  must  denote  the  church ;  and  the 
promise  of  being  made  a  pillar  therein  is  the 
strongest  promise  that  could  be  given,  of  a  place  of 
honor,  permanence  and  safety  in  the  church,  under 
the  figure  of  a  heavenly  building.  And  when  the 
time  comes  that  this  part  of  the  promise  is  fulfilled, 
probation  with  the  overcomer  is  past,  he  is  fully 
established  in  the  truth,  and  sealed.  "  He  shall  go 


486  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

no  more  out ; "  that  is,  there  is  no  more  danger  of 
his  falling  away ;  he  is  the  Lord's  forever ;  his  sal- 
vation is  sure. 

But  they  are  to  have  more  than  this :  From  the 
moment  they  overcome,  and  are  sealed  for  Heaven, 
they  are  labeled,  if  we  may  so  express  it,  for  the  New 
Jerusalem.  They  are  to  have  written  upon  them  the 
name  of  God,  whose  property  they  a,re,  the  name  of 
the  New  Jerusalem,  to  which  place  they  are  going, 
not  Old  Jerusalem,  where  some  are  vainly  looking ; 
and  they  have  upon  them  the  new  name  of  Christ, 
by  whose  authority  they  are  to  receive  everlasting 
life,  and  enter  into  the  kingdom.  Thus  sealed  and 
labeled,  the  saints  of  God  are  safe.  No  enemy  will 
be  able  to  prevent  their  reaching  their  destination, 
their  glorious  haven  of  rest,  Jerusalem  above. 

VERSE  14.  And  unto  the  angel  of  the  church  of  the  La- 
odiceaiis,  write ;  These  things  saith  the  Amen,  the  faithful  and 
true  Witness,  the  beginning  of  the  creation  of  God  :  15  :  I 
know  thy  works,  that  thou  art  neither  cold  nor  hot.  I  would 
thou  wert  cold  or  hot.  16.  So  then  because  thou  art  luke- 
warm, and  neither  cold  nor  hot,  I  will  spue  thee  out  of  my 
mouth.  17.  Because  thou  sayest,  I  am  rich  and  increased 
with  goods,  and  have  need  of  nothing  ;  and  knowest  not 
that  thou  art  wretched,  and  miserable,  and  poor,  and  blind, 
and  naked  :  18  :  I  counsel  thee  to  buy  of  me  gold  tried  in 
the  fire,  that  thou  mayest  be  rich :  and  white  raiment,  that 
thou  mayest  be  clothed,  and  that  the  shame  of  thy  naked- 
ness do  not  appear ;  and  anoint  thine  eyes  with  eye-salve, 
that  thou  mayest  see.  19.  As  many  as  I  love,  I  rebuke  and 
chasten  ;  be  zealous,  therefore,  and  repent.  20.  Behold,  I 
stand  at  the  door  and  knock  :  if  any  man  hear  my  voice,  and 
open  the  door,  I  will  come  in  to  him,  and  will  sup  with  him, 


CHAPTER  III,   VERSES  U-22.  487 

and  he  with  me.  21.  To  him  that  overcometh  will  I  grant 
to  sit  with  me  in  my  throne,  even  as  I  also  overcame,  and  am 
set  down  with  my'Father  in  his  throne.  22.  He  that  hath 
an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches. 

Laodicea  signifies  the  judging  of  the  people;  or, 
according  to  Cruden,  a  just  people.  This  message 
brings  to  view  the  closing  scenes  of  probation.  It  re- 
veals a  period  of  Judgment.  It  is  the  last  stage  of 
the  church.  It  consequently  applies  to  believers  un- 
der the  third  message,  the  last  message  of  mercy  be- 
fore the  coming  of  Christ,  chap.  14  :  9-14,  while  the 
great  day  of  atonement  is  transpiring,  and  the  inves- 
tigative Judgment  is  going  forward  upon  the  house 
of  God, — a  period  during  which  the  just  and  holy 
law  of  God  is  taken  by  the  waiting  church  as  their 
rule  of  life. 

These  Things  Saith  the  Amen.  This  is  then  the 
final  message  to  the  churches  ere  the  close  of  proba- 
tion. And  though  the  description  he  gives  to  the  in- 
different Laodiceans,  of  their  condition,  is  fearful  and 
startling,  nevertheless  it  cannot  be  denied  ;  for  the 
Witness  is  "  faithful  and  true."  Moreover  he  is  "  the 
beginning  of  the  creation  of  God."  Some  understand 
by  this  language  that  Christ  was  the  first  created 
being,  dating  his  existence  far  back  before  any  other 
created  being  or  thing,  next  to  the  self -existent  and 
eternal  God.  But  the  language  does  not  necessarily 
imply  this  ;  for  the  words,  "  the  beginning  of  the  cre- 
ation," may  simply  signify  that  the  work  of  creation, 
strictly  speaking,  was  begun  by  him.  And  it  is  ex- 
pressly declared  that "  without  him  was  not  anything 


488  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

made  that  was  made."  Others,  however,  take  the 
word  fyx%  to  mean  the  agent  or  efficient  cause,  which 
is  one  of  the  definitions  of  the  word,  understanding 
that  Christ  is  the  agent  through  whom  God  has  cre- 
ated all  things,  but  that  he  himself  came  into  exist- 
ence in  a  different  manner,  as  he  is  called  "  the  only 
begotten"  of  the  Father.  It  would  seem  utterly  inap- 
propriate to  apply  this  expression  to  any  being  cre- 
ated in  the  ordinary  sense  of  that  term. 

The  charge  he  brings  against  the  L'aodiceans  is, 
that  they  are  lukewarm,  neither  cold  nor  hot.  They 
lack  that  religious  fervency,  zeal,  and  devotion,  which 
their  position  in  the  world's  closing  history,  and  the 
light  of  prophecy  beaming  upon  their  pathway,  de- 
mand that  they  should  manifest;  and  this  luke- 
warmness  is  shown  by  a  lack  of  good  works ;  for  it 
is  from  a  knowledge  of  their  works  that  the  faithful 
and  true  Witness  brings  this  fearful  charge  against 
them. 

I  Would  Thou  Wert  Cold  or  Hot  Three  states 
are  brought  to  view  in  this  message :  the  cold,  the 
lukewarm,  and  the  hot.  It  is  important  to  deter- 
mine what  condition  they  each  denote,  in  order  to 
guard  against  wrong  conclusions.  What  the  term 
hot  means,  it  is  not  difficult  to  conceive.  The  mind 
at  once  calls  up  a  state  of  intense  fervency  and  zeal, 
when  all  the  affections,  raised  to  the  highest  pitch, 
are  drawn  out  for  God  and  his  cause,  and  manifest 
themselves  in  corresponding  works.  To  be  lukewarm 
is  to  lack  this  zeal,  to  be  in  a  state  in  which  heart 
and  earnestness  are  wanting,  in  which  there  is  no 


CHAPTER  III,   VERSES  14-28.  489 

self-denial  that  costs  anything,  no  cross-bearing  that 
is  felt,  no  determined  witnessing  for  Christ,  and  no 
valiant  aggression  that  keeps  sinews  strained  and 
armor  bright ;  and,  worst  of  all,  to  be  entirely  satis- 
fied  with  that  condition.  But  to  be  cold — what  is 
that  ?  Does  it  denote  a  state  of  corruption,  wicked- 
ness, and  sin,  such  as  characterizes  the  world  of  un- 
believers ?  We  cannot  so  regard  it,  for  the  follow- 
ing reasons : — 

1.  It  would  seem  harsh  and  repulsive  to  represent 
Christ  as  wishing,  under  any  circumstances,  that  per- 
sons should  be  in  such  a  condition ;  but  he  says,  "  I 
would  thou  wert  cold  or  hot." 

2.  No  state  can  be  more  offensive  to  Christ  than 
that  of   the  sinner  in  open  rebellion,  and  his  heart 
filled  with  every  evil.     It  would  therefore  be  incor- 
rect to  represent  him  as  preferring  that  state  to  any 
position  which  his  people  can  occupy  while  they  are 
still  retained  as  his. 

3.  The  threat  of  rejection  hi  verse  16  is  because 
they  are  neither  cold  nor  hot.     As  much  as  to  say 
that  if  they  were  either  cold  or  hot,  they  would  not 
be  rejected.     But  if  by  cold  is  meant  a  state  of  open 
worldly  wickedness,  they  would  be  rejected  therefor 
very  speedily.     Hence,  such  cannot  be  its  meaning. 

We  are  consequently  forced  to  the  conclusion  that 
no  reference  is  had  whatever  to  those  outside  of  his 
church,  by  this  language  of  our  Lord,  but  that  he  re- 
fers to  three  degrees  of  spiritual  affections,  two  of 
which  are  more  acceptable  to  him  than  the  third. 
H  eat  and  cold  are  preferable  to  lukewarmness.  But 


490  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

what  kind  of  a  spiritual  state  is  denoted  by  the  term, 
cold  ?  We  may  remark  first  that  it  is  a  state  of  feel- 
ing. In  this  respect,  it  is  superior  to  hike  warm  ness, 
which  is  a  state  of  comparative  insensibility,  indiffer- 
ence, and  supreme  self-satisfaction.  To  be  hot  is  also 
to  be  in  a  state  of  feeling.  And  as  hot  denotes  joy- 
ous fervency,  and  a  lively  exercise  of  all  the  affec- 
tions, with  a  heart  buoyant  with  the  sensible  presence 
and  love  of  God,  so  by  cold  would  seem  to  be  denoted 
a  spiritual  condition  characterized  by  a  destitution  of 
these  traits,  yet  one  in  which  the  individual  feels  such 
destitution,  and  longs  to  recover  his  lost  treasures. 
This  state  is  well  expressed  by  the  language  of  Job, 
"  Oh  that  I  knew  where  I  might  find  Him  ! "  Job 
23  :  3.  In  this  state  there  is  not  indifference,  nor  is 
there  content;  but  there  is  a  sense  of  coldness,  unfit- 
ness,  and  discomfort,  and  a  groping  and  seeking  after 
something  better.  There  is  hope  of  a  person  in  this 
condition.  What  a  man  feels  that  he  lacks  and  wants, 
he  will  earnestly  strive  to  obtain.  The  most  discour- 
aging feature  of  the  lukewarm  is  that  they  are  con- 
scious of  no  lack,  and  feel  that  they  have  need  of 
nothing.  Hence  it  is  easy  to  see  why  our  Lord 
should  prefer  to  behold  his  church  in  a  state  of  com- 
fortless coldness,  rather  than  in  a  state  of  comfortable, 
easy,  indifferent  lukewarmness.  Cold,  a  person  will 
not  long  remain.  His  efforts  will  soon  lead  him  to 
the  fervid  state.  But  lukewarm,  there  is  danger  of 
remaining  till  the  faithful  and  true  Witness  is  obliged 
to  reject  him  as  a  nauseous  and  loathsome  thing. 
/  Will  Spue  Thee  out  of  My  Mouth.  Here  the 


CHAPTER  III,    VERSES  14-'* 


491 


figure  is  still  further  carried  out,  and  the  rejection  of 
the  lukewarm  expressed  by  the  well-known  nauseat- 
ing effects  of  tepid  water.  And  this  denotes  a  final 
rejection,  an  utter  separation  from  his  church. 

Rich  and  Increased  in  Goods.  Such  the  Laodi- 
ceans  think  is  their  condition.  They  are  not  hypo- 
crites, because  they  "  know  not "  that  they  are  poor 
miserable,  blind,  and  naked. 

The  Counsel  Given  Them.  Buy  of  me,  says  the 
true  Witness,  gold  tried  in  the  fire,  that  thou  mayest 
be  rich,  and  white  raiment  that  thou  mayest  be 
clothed,  and  anoint  thine  eyes  with  eye-salve,  that 
thou  mayest  see.  This  shows  at  once  to  the  deceived 
Laodiceans  the  objects  they  lack,  and  the  extent  of 
their  destitution.  It  shows,  too,  where  they  can  ob- 
tain those  things  in  which  they  are  so  fearfully  poor; 
it  brings  before  them  the  necessity  of  speedily  obtain- 
ing them.  The  case  is  so  urgent  that  our  great  Ad- 
vocate in  the  court  above  sends  us  special  counsel  on 
the  point;  and  the  fact  that  He  who  has  conde- 
scended to  point  out  our  lack,  and  counsel  us  to  buy, 
is  the  one  who  has  these  things  to  bestow,  and  in- 
vites us  to  come  to  him  for  them,  is  the  best  possible 
guarantee  that  our  application  will  be  respected,  and 
our  requests  granted. 

But,  by  what  means  can  we  buy  these  things? 
Just  as  we  buy  all  other  gospel  graces.  "  Ho,  every 
one  that  thirsteth,  come  ye  to  the  waters,  and  he  that 
hath  no  money ;  come  ye,  buy,  and  eat ;  yea,  come, 
buy  wine  and  milk  without  money  and  without 
price."  Isa.  55  : 1.  We  thus  buy,  by  the  asking  ; 


492  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION.  » 

buy,  by  throwing  away  the  worthless  baubles  of  earth, 
and  receiving  priceless  treasures  in  their  stead  ;  buy, 
by  simply  coming  and  receiving ;  buy,  giving  noth- 
ing in  return.  And  what  do  we  buy  on  these  gra- 
cious terms?  Bread  that  perishes  not,  spotless  rai- 
ment that  soils  not,  riches  that  corrupt  not,  and  an 
inheritance  that  fadeth  not.  Strange  traffic,  this  ! 
Yet  thus  the  Lord  condescends  to  deal  with  his  peo- 
ple. He  might  compel  us  to  come  in  the  manner  and 
with  the  mien  of  beggars ;  but,  instead  of  this,  he 
gives  us. the  treasures  of  his  grace,  and  in  return  re- 
ceives our  worthlessness,  that  wTe  may  take  the  bless- 
ings he  has  to  bestow,  not  as  pittances  dealt  out  to 
mendicants,  but  as  the  legitimate  possessions  of  hon- 
orable purchase. 

The  things  to  be  obtained  demand  especial  no- 
tice. They  are  enumerated  as  follows  : — 

1.  Gold  Tried  in  the  Fire.  Gold,  literally  con- 
sidered, is  the  comprehensive  name  for  all  worldly 
wealth  and  riches.  Figuratively  considered,  it 
must  denote  that  which  constitutes  spiritual  riches. 
What  grace,  then,  is  represented  by  the  gold  ?  or, 
rather,  what  graces  ?  for,  doubtless,  no  one  single 
grace  can  be  said  to  answer  to  the  full  import  of 
that  term.  The  Lord  said  to  the  church  of  Smyrna 
that  he  knew  their  poverty,  but  they  were  rich ; 
and  the  testimony  shows  that  their  riches  consisted 
of  that  which  was  finally  to  put  them  in  possession 
of  a  crown  of  life.  Says  James,  "  Hearken,  my  be- 
loved brethren,  hath  not  God  chosen  the  poor  of 
this  world  rich  in  faith,  and  heirs  of  the  kingdom 


CHAPTER  III,    VERSES  14-22.  493 

which  he  hath  promised  to  them  that  love  him  ? " 
"Faith,"  says  Paul,  "is  the  substance  of  things 
hoped  for,  the  evidence  of  things  not  seen."  To  be 
"  rich  toward  God,"  rich  in  the  spiritual  sense,  is  to 
have  a  clear  title  to  the  promises,  to  be  an  heir  of 
that  inheritance  which  is  incorruptible,  undefiled, 
and  that  fadeth  not  away,  reserved  in  Heaven  for 
us.  "  If  ye  be  Christ's,  then  are  ye  Abraham's  seed, 
and  heirs  according  to  the  promise."  Gal.  3:29. 
And  how  do  we  obtain  this  heirship  ?  In  the 
same  way  that  Abraham  obtained  the  promise ; 
that  is,  through  faith.  Rom.  4:13,  14.  No  won- 
der, then,  that  Paul  should  devote  an  entire  chapter 
in  Hebrews  (chap.  11)  td  this  important  subject, 
setting  forth  the  mighty  achievements  that  have 
been  accomplished,  and  the  precious  promises  that 
have  been  obtained,  through  faith ;  and  that  he 
should,  in  the  first  verse  of  the  next  chapter,  as  the 
grand  conclusion  to  his  argument,  exhort  Christians 
to  lay  aside  every  weight,  and  the  sin  (of  unbelief) 
that  so  easily  besets  them.  Nothing  will  sooner 
dry  up  the  springs  of  spirituality,  and  sink  us  into 
utter  poverty  in  reference  to  the  things  of  the 
kingdom  of  God,  than  to  let  faith  go  out  and  unbe- 
lief come  in.  For  faith  must  enter  into  every  ac- 
tion that  is  pleasing  in  his  sight ;  and  in  coming  to 
him,  the  first  thing  is,  to  believe  that  he  is ;  and  it 
is  through  faith,  as  the  chief  agent  under  the  grace 
which  is  the  gift  of  God,  that  we  are  to  be  saved 
Heb.  11:6;  Eph.  2:8. 

From  this,  it  would  seem  that  faith  is  a  principal 


494  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

element  of  spiritual  wealth.  But  if,  as  already  re- 
marked, no  one  grace  can  answer  to  the  full  import 
of  the  term  gold,  so,  doubtless,  other  things  are  in- 
cluded with  faith.  "Faith  is  the  substance  of 
things  hoped  for,"  says  Paul.  Hence  hope  is  an 
inseparable  accompaniment  of  faith.  Heb.  11:1; 
Kom.  8  : 24,  25.  And  again  Paul  tells  us  that  faith 
works  by  love,  and  speaks  in  another  place  of  being 
"  rich  in  good  works."  Gal.  5:6;  1  Tim.  6 : 18. 
Hence  love  cannot  be  separated  from  faith.  We 
then  have  before  us  the  three  objects  associated  to- 
gether by  Paul  in  1  Cor.  13, — faith,  hope,  and  char- 
ity, or  love ;  and  the  greatest  of  these  is  charity. 
Such  is  the  gold  tried  by  fire  which  we  are  coun- 
seled to  buy. 

2.  White  Raiment.     On  this  point  there  would 
not  seem  to  be  much  room  for  controversy.     A  few 
texts  will  furnish  a  key  to  the  understanding  of 
this  expression.     Says  the  prophet,  Isa.  64  :  6,  "  All 
our  righteousnesses   are  as  filthy  rags."     We   are 
counseled  to  buy  the  opposite  of  filthy  rags,  which 
would  be  complete  and  spotless  raiment.     The  same 
figure  is  used  in  Zech.  3  :  3,  4.     And  John,  in  the 
19th  chapter  of  the  Revelation,  verse  8,  says  plainly 
that  "the  fine  linen  is  the  righteousness  of  saints." 

3.  The  Eye-salve.     On  this  there  is  as  little  room 
for  a  diversity  of  opinion  as  upon  the  white  rai- 
ment.    The  anointing  of  the  eyes  is  certainly  not 
to  be  taken  in  a  literal  sense ;  and,  reference  being 
made  to  spiritual  things,  the  eye-salve  must  denote 
that  by  w  hich  our  spiritual  discernment  is  quickened. 


CHATTER  III,    VERSES  14-22.  495 

There  is  but  one  agent  revealed  to  us  in  the  word 
of  God  by  which  this  is  accomplished ;  and  that  is 
the  Holy  Spirit.  In  Acts  10  :  38,  we  read  that 
"God  anointed  Jesus  of  Nazareth  with  the  Holy 
Ghost."  And  the  same  writer  through  whom  came 
this  Revelation  from  Jesus  Christ,  wrote  to  the 
church  in  his  first  epistle,  2  :  20,  as  follows :  "  But 
ye  have  an  unction  from  the  Holy  One,  and  ye 
know  all  things."  In  verse  27,  he  enlarges  upon 
this  point  thus  :  "  But  the  anointing  which  ye  have 
received  of  Him  abideth  in  you,  and  ye  need  not 
that  any  man  teach  you  ;  but  as  the  same  anointing 
teacheth  you  of  all  things,  and  is  truth,  and  is  no 
lie,  and  even  as  it  hath  taught  you,  ye  shall  abide 
in  him."  By  referring  to  his  gospel,  it  is  found 
that  the  work  which  he  here  sets  forth  as  accom- 
plished by  the  anointing,  is  exactly  the  same  that 
he  there  attributes  to  the  Holy  Spirit.  John  14  : 
26  :  "  But  the  Comforter,  which  is  the  Holy  Ghost, 
whom  the  Father  will  send  in  my  name,  he  shall 
teach  you  all  things,  and  bring  all  things  to  your 
remembrance,  whatsoever  I  have  said  unto  you." 
See  also  John  16  : 13. 

Thus,  in  a  formal  and  solemn  manner,  are  we 
counseled  by  the  faithful  and  true  Witness,  under 
the  figures  of  gold,  white  raiment,  and  eye-salve,  to 
seek  from  him,  speedily  and  earnestly,  an  increase 
of  the  heavenly  graces,  of  faith,  hope,  charity,  that 
righteousness  which  he  alone  can  furnish,  and  an 
unction  from  the  Holy  Spirit.  But  how  is  it  possi- 
ble that  a  people,  lacking  these  things,  should  think 


496  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

themselves  rich  and  increased  with  goods  ?  A  plau- 
sible inference  may  here  be  drawn,  which  is  perhaps 
also  a  necessary  one,  as  there  is  room  for  no  other. 
It  will  be  observed  that  no  fault  is  found  with  the 
Laodiceans  on  account  of  the  doctrines  they  hold. 
They  are  not  accused  of  harboring  any  Jezebel  in 
their  midst,  or  countenancing  the  doctrines  of  Ba- 
laam or  the  Nicolaitanes.  So  far  as  we  can  learn 
from  the  address  to  them,  their  belief  is  correct,  and 
their  theory  sound.  The  inference,  therefore,  is 
that,  having  a  correct  theory,  therewith  they  are 
content.  They  are  satisfied  with  a  correct  form  of 
doctrine  without  its  power.  Having  received  light 
concerning  the  closing  events  of  this  dispensation, 
and  having  a  correct  theoretical  knowledge  of  the 
truths  that  pertain  to  the  last  generation  of  men, 
they  are  inclined  to  rest  in  this,  to  the  neglect  of 
the  spiritual  part  of  religion.  It  is  by  their  actions, 
doubtless,  not  by  their  words,  that  they  say  they 
are  rich  and  increased  with  goods.  Having  so  much 
light  and  so  much  truth,  what  can  tljey  want  be- 
sides ?  And  if,  with  a  commendable  tenacity  they 
defend  the  theory,  and  in  their  outward  life  con- 
form to  the  increasing  light  upon  the  command- 
ments of  God  and  the  faith  of  Jesus,  is  not  their 
righteousness  complete  ?  Rich  and  increased  in 
goods,  and  needing  nothing  !  Here  is  their  failure. 
Their  whole  being  should  cry  out  for  the  Spirit,  the 
zeal,  the  fervency,  the  life,  the  power,  of  a  living 
Christianity,  and  their  righteousness  should  consist 
in  a  swallowing  up  of  self  and  all  its  works  in  the 
merits  of  their  Redeemer. 


CHAPTER  III,   VERSES  Ij-SS.  497 

The  Token  of  Love.  This,  strange  as  it  may 
seem,  is  chastisement.  "  As  many  as  I  love  I  re- 
buke and  chasten."  If  we  are  without  chastise- 
ment we  are  not  sons.  Heb.  12.  "A  general  law," 
says  Thompson,  "of  his  gracious  economy  is  here 
set  forth.  As  all  need  chastisement  in  some  meas- 
ure, they  in  some  measure  receive  it,  and  thus  have 
proof  of  the  Saviour's  attachment.  This  is  a  hard 
lesson  to  learn,  and  believers  are  dull  scholars ;  yet 
here  and  throughout  God's  word  and  providence  it 
stands,  that  trials  are  his  benedictions,  and  that  no 
child  escapes  the  rod.  The  incorrigibly  misshapen 
and  coarse-grained  blocks  are  rejected,  whilst  those 
chosen  for  the  glorious  structure  are  subjected  to 
the  chisel  and  the  hammer.  There  is  no  cluster  on 
the  true  vine  but  must  pass  through  the  winepress. 
'For  myself/  said  an  old  divine  under  affliction, 
'  for  myself,  I  bless  God,  I  have  observed  and  felt  so 
much  mercy  in  this  angry  dispensation  of  God  that 
I  am  almost  transported.  I  am,  sure,  highly  pleased 
with  thinking  how  infinitely  sweet  his  mercies  are, 
when  his  judgments  are  so  gracious.'  In  view, 
then,  of  the  origin  and  design  of  the  chastisements 
you  receive, '  Be  zealous  and  repent.'  Lose  no  time ; 
lose  not  a  blow  of  the  rod,  but  repent  at  once.  Be 
fervent  in  spirit.  Such  is  the  first  appliance  of  en- 
couragement." 

Be  Zealous  and  Repent.  Although,  as  we  have 
seen,  the  state  represented  by  coldness  is  preferable 
to  one  of  lukewarmness,  yet  that  is  not  a  state  in 

which  our  Lord  ever  desires  to  find  us.     We  are 
32 


498  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

never  exhorted  to  seek  that  state.  There  is  a  far 
better  one  which  we  are  counseled  to  attain;  and 
that  is,  to  be  zealous ;  to  be  fervent ;  and  to  have 
our  hearts  all  aglow  in  the  service  of  our  Master. 
Christ  Knocking  at  the  Door.  Let  us  listen  again 
to  the  author  above  quoted :  "  Here  is  the  heart  of 
hearts.  Notwithstanding  their  offensive  attitude, 
their  unlovely  character,  such  is  his  love  to  their 
souls  that  he  humbles  himself  to  solicit  the  privi- 
lege of  making  them  blessed.  '  Behold,  I  stand  at 
the  door,  and  knock.'  Why  does  he  ?  Not  because 
he  is  without  home  elsewhere.  Among  the  man- 
sions in  his  Father's  house  there  is  not  one  en- 
trance closed  to  him.  He  is  the  life  of  every  heart, 
the  light  in  every  eye,  the  song  on  every  tongue  in 
glory.  But  he  goes  round  from  door  to  door  in 
Laodicea.  He  stands  at  each,  and  knocks,  because 
he  came  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which  is  lost,  be- 
cause he  cannot  give  up  the  purpose  of  communi- 
cating eternal  life  to  as  many  as  the  Father  has 
given  him,  and  because  he  cannot  become  known  to 
the  inmate  unless  the  door  be  opened  and  a  wel- 
come given  him.  Have  you  bought  a  piece  of 
ground  ?  have  you  bought  five  yoke  of  oxen  ?  is 
your  hat  in  your  hand,  and  do  you  pray  to  be  ex- 
cused ?  He  knocks  and  knocks.  But  you  cannot 
receive  company  at  present ;  you  are  worn  out  with 
labor ;  you  have  wheeled  round  the  sofa ;  you  are 
making  yourself  comfortable,  and  send  word  that 

you  are  engaged.     He  knocks  and  knocks 

It  is  th  •  hour  for   church   prayer-meeting,  or  for 


CHAPTER  III,    VEIttiES  1^-22.  4,99 

monthly  concert;  there  is  opportunity  to  pay  a 
Christian  visit  to  an  individual  or  a  family;  but 
you  move  not.  ....  Oh,  nauseous  lukewarm- 
ness!  Oh,  fatal  worldliness!  The  Lord  of  glory 
comes  all  the  way  from  his  celestial  palace — comes 
in  poverty,  in  sweat,  in  blood — comes  to  the  door  of 
a  professed  friend,  who  owes  all  to  him,  and  cannot 
get  in  ! — comes  to  rescue  a  man  whose  house  is  on 
fire,  and  he  will  not  admit  him !  Oh,  the  height,  the 
depth  of  Jesus  Christ's  forbearance!  Even  the 
heathen  Publius  received  Paul,  and  lodged  him 
three  days  courteously.  Shall  nominal  Christians 
tell  the  Lord  of  apostles  that  they  have  no  room  for 
him  ? " 

If  Any  Man  Hear  My  Voice.  The  Lord  entreats, 
then,  as  well  as  knocks.  And  the  word  if  implies 
that  some  will  not  hear.  Though  he  stands  and 
knocks  and  entreats  till  his  locks  are  wet  with  the 
dews  of  night,  yet  some  will  close  their  ears  to  liis 
tender  entreaties.  But  it  is  not  enough  to  simply 
hear.  It  is  to  hear,  and  open  the  door.  And  many 
who  hear  at  first  the  voice,  and  for  a  time  feel  in- 
clined to  heed,  will  doubtless,  alas!  fail  in  the  end  to 
do  that  which  is  necessary  to  secure  to  themselves  the 
communion  of  the  heavenly  guest.  Reader,  are  your 
ears  open  to  the  entreaties  which  the  Saviour  directs 
to  you  ?  Is  the  sound  of  his  voice  a  welcome  sound  ? 
Will  you  heed  it  ?  Will  you  open  the  door  and  let 
him  in  ?  Or  is  the  door  of  your  heart  held  fast  by 
heaps  of  this  world's  rubbish  which  you  are  unwill- 
ing to  remove?  Remember  that  the  Lord  of  life 


500  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

never  forces  an  entrance.  He  condescends  to  come 
and  knock,  and  seek  admittance ;  but  he  takes  up 
his  abode  in  those  hearts  only,  where  he  is  then  a 
welcome  and  invited  guest. 

And  then  the  promise !  "  I  will  come  in  to  him,  and 
will  sup  with  him,  and  he  with  me."  How  forcible 
and  touching  the  figure  !  Friend  with  friend,  par- 
taking of  the  cheerful  and  social  meal !  Mind  with 
mind,  holding  free  and  intimate  converse!  And 
what  a  festal  scene  must  that  be  where  the  King  of 
glory  is  a  guest !  No  common  degree  of  union,  no 
ordinary  blessing,  no  usual  privilege,  is  denoted  by 
this  language.  Who,  under  such  tender  entreaty  and 
so  gracious  a  promise,  can  remain  indifferent  ?  Nor 
are  we  required  to  furnish  the  table  for  this  exalted 
guest.  This  he  does  himself,  not  with  the  gross  nu- 
triment of  earth,  but  with  viands  from  his  own  heav- 
enly storehouse.  Here  he  sets  before  us  foretastes  of 
the  glory  soon  to  be  revealed.  Here  he  gives  us  ear- 
nests of  our  future  inheritance  which  is  incorrupt- 
ible, undefiled,  and  that  fadeth  not  away.  Verily, 
when  we  shall  comply  with  the  conditions  and  receive 
this  promise,  we  shall  experience  the  rising  of  the 
day-star  in  our  hearts,  and  behold  the  dawn  of  a  glo- 
rious morning  for  the  church  of  God. 

The  Final  Promise.  The  promise  of  supping  with 
his  disciples  is  made  by  the  Lord  to  them,  before  the 
final  promise  to  the  overcomer.  This  shows  that  the 
blessings  included  in  that  promise  are  to  be  enjoyed 
in  this  probationary  state.  And  now,  superadded  to 
all  these,  is  the  promise  to  the  overcomer.  "  To  him 


CHAPTER  III,    VERSES  14-22.  5Q1 

that  overcometh  will  I  grant  to  sit  with  me  in  my 
throne,  even  as  I  also  overcame,  and  am  set  down 
with  my  Father  in  his  throne."  Here  the  promises 
of  the  Lord  culminate.  From  being  at  first  rebell- 
ious, and  then  fallen,  degraded,  and  polluted,  man  is 
brought  by  the  work  of  the  Redeemer  back  into  rec- 
onciliation with  God,  cleansed  from  his  pollutions, 
redeemed  from  the  fall,  made  immortal,  and  finally 
raised  to  a  seat  upon  the  very  throne  of  his  Saviour. 
Honor  and  exaltation  could  go  no  further.  Human 
minds  cannot  conceive  that  state,  human  language 
cannot  describe  it.  We  can  only  labor  on  till,  if 
overcorners  at  last,  we  shall  "  know  what  it  is  to  be 
there." 

But  there  is  in  this  verse  not  only  a  glorious 
promise,  there  is  also  an  important  doctrine.  We 
learn  by  this  that  Christ  reigns  consecutively  upon 
two  thrones.  One  is  the  throne  of  his  Father,  the 
other  is  his  own  throne.  He  declares  in  this  verse 
that  he  has  overcome,  and  is  now  set  down  with 
his  Father  in  his  throne.  He  is  now  associated 
with  the  Father  in  the  throne  of  universal  domin- 
ion, placed  at  his  right  hand,  far  above  all  princi- 
pality, power,  might,  and  dominion.  Eph.  1  : 20- 
22,  etc.  While  in  this  position,  he  is  a  priest-King. 
He  is  a  priest,  "  a  minister  of  the  sanctuary ; "  but 
at  the  same  time  he  is  "  on  the  right  hand  of  the 
throne  of  the  Majesty  in  the  Heavens."  Heb.  8  : 1, 
2.  This  position  and  work  of  our  Lord  was  thus 
predicted  by  the  prophet  Zechariah :  "  And  speak 
unto  him,  saying,  Thus  speaketh  the  Lord  of  hosts 


502  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

[God],  saying,  Behold  the  man  whose  name  is  the 
Branch  [Christ] ;  and  he  shall  grow  up  out  of  his 
place,  and  he  shall  build  the  temple  of  the  Lord.  .  .  . 
And  he  [Christ]  shall  sit  and  rule  upon  his  [God's] 
throne ;  and  he  [Christ]  shall  be  a  priest  upon  his 
[God's]  throne ;  and  the  counsel  of  peace  [in  the  sac- 
rifice and  priestly  work  of  Christ  in  behalf  of  re- 
penting man]  shall  be  between  them  both."  Zech. 
6  : 12,  13.  But  the  time  is  coming  when  he  is  to 
change  his  position,  and,  leaving  the  throne  of  his 
Father,  take  his  own  throne;  and  this  must  be 
when  the  time  comes  for  the  reward  of  the  over- 
comers;  for  when  they  enter  upon  their  reward, 
they  are  to  sit  with  Christ  on  his  throne  as  he  has 
overcome  and  is  now  seated  with  the  Father  upon 
his  throne.  This  change  in  the  position  of  Christ 
is  set  forth  by  Paul  in  1  Cor.  15  :  24-28,  as  fol- 
lows : — 

"  Then  cometh  the  end,  when  he  shall  have  de- 
livered up  the  kingdom  to  God,  even  the  Father ; 
when  he  shall  have  put  down  all  rule  and  all  au- 
thority and  power.  For  he  must  reign  till  he  hath 
put  all  enemies  under  his  feet.  The  last  enemy 
that  shall  be  destroyed  is  death.  For  he  hath  put 
all  things  under  his  feet.  But  when  he  saith,  All 
things  are  put  under  him,  it  is  manifest  that  he  is 
excepted  which  did  put  all  things  under  him.  And 
when  all  things  shall  be  subdued  unto  him,  then 
shall  the  Son  also  himself  be  subject  unto  him  that 
put  all  things  under  him,  that  God  may  be  all 
in  all." 


CHAP  TEE  III,  *  VERSES  14-22.  5  Q  3 

The  truths  taught  in  this  portion  of  Scripture 
may  perhaps  be  most  briefly  expressed  by  a  slight 
paraphrase,  and  by  giving,  in  every  instance,  in- 
stead of  the  pronouns,  the  nouns  to  which  they  re- 
spectively refer.  Thus : — 

"  Then  cometh  the  end  (of  the  present  dispensa- 
tion), when  Christ  shall  have  delivered  up  the  king- 
dom (which  he  now  holds  conjointly  with  the  Fa- 
ther) to  God,  even  the  Father;  when  God  shall 
have  put  down  all  rule  and  all  authority  and  power 
(that  is  opposed  to  the  work  of  the  Son).  For  Christ 
must  reign  (on  the  throne  of  his  Father)  till  the 
Father  hath  put  all  enemies  under  Christ's  feet. 
[See  Ps.  110  : 1.]  The  last  enemy  that  shall  be  de- 
stroyed is  death.  For  God  (then)  hath  put  all  things 
under  Christ's  feet.  But  when  God  saith,  All  things 
are  put  under  Christ  (and  he  commences  his  reign 
upon  his  own  throne),  it  is  manifest  that  God  is  ex- 
cepted,  who  did  put  all  things  under  Christ.  And 
when  all  things  shall  be  subdued  unto  Christ,  then 
shall  Christ  also  himself  be  subject  unto  God  that 
put  all  things  under  him,  that  God  may  be  all  in  all." 

That  this  is  a  correct  version  of  this  scripture 
may  be  easily  verified.  The  only  question  that  can 
be  raised  is  concerning  the  persons  to  whom  the 
pronouns  refer ;  and  any  attempt  to  make  the  pro- 
nouns refer  to  Christ,  which  in  the  foregoing  para- 
phrase are  referred  to  God,  will  be  found,  when 
traced  through  the  quotation,  to  make  poor  sense  of 
the  language  of  Paul. 

From  this  it  will  be  seen  that  the  kingdom  which 


504  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

Christ  delivers  up  to  the  Father,  is  that  which  he 
holds  at  the  present  time  upon  his  Father's  throne, 
where  he  tells  us  he  is  now  seated.  He  delivers  up 
this  kingdom  at  the  end  of  this  dispensation  when 
the  time  comes  for  him  to  take  his  own  throne. 
After  this,  he  reigns  on  the  throne  of  his  father 
David,  and  is  subject  only  to  God,  who  still  retains 
his  position  upon  the  throne  of  universal  dominion. 
In  this  reign  of  Christ  the  saints  participate.  "  To 
him  that  overcometh  will  I  grant  to  sit  with  me 
upon  my  throne."  "  And  they  lived,"  says  John, 
dating  from  the  first  resurrection,  chap.  20  : 4,  "  and 
reigned  with  Christ  a  thousand  years."  This  we 
understand  to  be  a  special  reign,  or  for  a  special 
purpose,  as  will  be  noticed  in  that  chapter ;  for  the 
actual  reign  of  the  saints,  is  to  be  "  forever  and 
ever."  Dan.  7  : 18,  27.  How  can  any  earthly  ob- 
ject divert  our  gaze  from  this  durable  and  heavenly 
prospect  ? 

Thus  close  the  messages  to  the  seven  churches. 
How  pointed  and  searching  their  testimony !  What 
lessons  do  they  contain  for  all  Christians  in  all 
ages !  It  is  as  true  with  the  last  church  as  with 

o 

the  first,  that  all  their  works  are  known  to  Him 
who  walks  in  the  midst  of  the  seven  golden  candle- 
sticks. From  his  scrutinizing  gaze  nothing  can  be 
hid.  And  while  his  threatenings  to  the  hypocrites 
and  evil  workers,  as  in  justice  they  may  be,  are 
awful,  how  ample,  how  comforting,  how  gracious, 
how  glorious,  his  promises  to  those  who  love  and 
follow  him  with  singleness  of  heart. 


IV. 


A  NEW  VISION.    THE  HEAVENLY  SANCTUARY. 

VERSE  1.  After  this  I  looked,  and,  behold,  a  door  was 
opened  in  Heaven  ;  and  the  first  voice  which  I  heard  was  as 
it  were  of  a  trumpet  talking  with  me  ;  which  said,  Come  up 
hither  and  I  will  shew  thee  things  which  must  be  hereafter. 

After  This.  In  the  first  three  chapters  John 
presents  the  vision  he  had  of  the  Son  of  man,  com- 
prising a  description  of  his  majestic  person,  and  a 
record  of  the  words  which,  with  a  voice  as  the 
sound  of  many  waters,  he  was  heard  to  utter.  A 
new  scene  and  a  new  vision  now  open  before  us  ; 
and  the  expression,  "  after  this,"  does  not  denote 
that  what  is  recorded  in  chapter  4,  and  onward, 
was  to  take  place  after  the  fulfillment  of  every- 
thing recorded  in  the  three  preceding  chapters,  but 
only  that  after  he  had  seen  and  heard  what  is  there 
recorded,  he  had  the  new  view  which  he  now  in- 
troduces. 

A  Door  Was  Opened  in  Heaven.  Let  it  be  no- 
ticed that  John  says,  "  A  door  was  opened  in 
Heaven,"  not  into  Heaven.  It  was  not  an  opening 
of  Heaven  itself  before  the  mind  of  John,  as  in  the 
case  of  Stephen,  Acts  7:56,  but  some  place  or  apart- 
ment in  Heaven  was  opened  before  him,  and  he  was 

(505) 


506  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

permitted  to  behold  what  was  transpiring  within. 
That  this  apartment  which  John  saw  opened  was  the 
heavenly  sanctuary,  will  plainly  appear  from  other 
portions  of  the  book. 

Things  Which  Must  Be  Hereafter.  Compare  with 
this,  chap.  1:1.  The  great  object  of  the  Revelation 
seems  to  be  the  presentation  of  future  events  for  the 
purpose  of  informing,  edifying,  and  comforting  the 
church. 

VERSE  2.  And  immediately  I  was  in  the  Spirit ;  and,  be- 
hold, a  throne  was  set  in  Heaven,  and  one  sat  on  the  throne. 
3.  And  he  that  sat  was,  to  look  upon,  like  a  jasper  and  a 
sardine  stone  :  and  there  was  a  rainbow  round  about  the 
throne,  in  sight  like  unto  an  emerald.  4  And  round  about 
the  throne  were  four  and  twenty  seats  :  and  upon  the  seats 
I  saw  four  and  twenty  elders  sitting,  clothed  in  white  raiment ; 
and  they  had  on  their  heads  crowns  of  gold.  5.  And  out  of 
the  throne  proceeded  lightnings  and  thunderings  and  voices  : 
and  there  were  seven  lamps  of  fire  burning  before  the 
throne,  which  are  the  seven  spirits  of  God. 

In  the  Spirit.  Once  before  we  have  had  this  ex- 
pression, namely  in  chap.  1 : 10,  "I  was  in  the  Spirit 
on  the  Lord's  day,"  where  it  was  taken  to  expreas  the 
fact  that  John  had  a  vision  upon  the  Sabbath  or 
Lord's  day.  If  it  there  expressed  the  state  of  being 
in  vision,  it  would  denote  the  same  thing  here ;  and, 
consequently,  the  first  vision  ended  with  chapter  3, 
and  a  new  one  is  here  introduced.  Nor  is  it  any  ob- 
jection to  this  view  that  John,  previous  to  this,  as  is 
learned  from  the  first  verse  of  this  chapter,  was  in 
such  a  spiritual  state  as  to  be  able  to  look  up  and  see 
a  door  opened  in  Heaven,  and  to  hear  a  spiritual 


CHAPTER  IV,    VERSES  2~o.  507 

voice  like  the  mighty  sound  of  a  trumpet  calling  him 
up  to  a  nearer  prospect  of  heavenly  things.  It  is 
evident  that  there  may  be  such  states  of  ecstasy  in- 
dependent of  vision,  just  as  Stephen,  full  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  could  look  up  and  see  the  Heavens  opened, 
and  the  Son  of  man  on  the  right  hand  of  God.  To 
be  in  the  Spirit  denotes  a  still  higher  state  of  spirit- 
ual elevation.  On  what  day  this  vision  was  given 
we  are  not  informed. 

Being  fully  wrapped  again  in  heavenly  vision,  the 
first  object  which  he  beholds  is  a  throne  set  in 
Heaven,  and  the  Divine  Being  seated  thereon.  The 
description  of  the  appearance  of  this  personage 
clothed  in  the  mingled  colors  of  the  jasper,  frequently 
a  purple,  and  the  blood-red  sardine  stone,  is  such  as  to 
suggest  at  once  to  the  mind  a  monarch  vested  with 
his  royal  robes.  And  round  about  the  throne  there 
was  a  rainbow,  both  adding  to  the  grandeur  of  the 
scene,  and  reminding  us  that  though  he  who  sits 
upon  the  throne  is  an  almighty  and  absolute  ruler,  he 
is  nevertheless  the  covenant-keeping  God. 

The  Four  and  Twenty  Elders.  The  question  once 
proposed  to  John  concerning  a  certain  company,  has 
frequently  arisen  concerning  these  four  and  twenty 
elders :  "  Who  are  these  ?  and  whence  came  they  ? " 
It  will  be  observed  that  they  are  clothed  with  white 
raiment,  and  have  on  their  heads  crowns  of  gold; 
which  are  both  tokens  of  a  conflict  completed  and  a 
victory  gained.  From  this  we  conclude  that  they 
were  once  participants  in  the  Christian  warfare,  once 
trod,  in  common  with  all  saints,  this  earthly  pilgrim- 


508  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION, 

age,  but  have  overcome,  and  for  some  good  purpose, 
in  advance  of  the  great  multitude  of  the  redeemed, 
are  wearing  their  victor  crowns  in  the  heavenly 
world.  Indeed,  they  plainly  tell  us  as  much  as  this, 
in  the  song  of  praise  which  they,  in  connection  with 
the  four  beasts,  ascribe  to  the  Lamb,  in  the  9th  verse 
of  the  following  chapter  :  "  And  they  sung  a  new 
song,  saying,  Thou  art  worthy  to  take  the  book  and 
to  open  the  seals  thereof;  for  thou  wast  slain,  and 
hast  redeemed  us  to  God  by  thy  blood,  out  of  every 
kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people,  and  nation."  This 
song  is  sung  before  any  of  the  events  in  the  prophecy 
of  the  seven  seals  transpire  ;  for  it  is  sung  to  set  forth 
the  worthiness  of  the  Lamb  to  take  the  book  and 
open  the  seals,  on  the  ground  of  what  he  had  already 
accomplished,  which  was  their  redemption.  It  is  not, 
therefore,  thrown  in  here  by  anticipation,  having  its 
application  in  the  future ;  but  it  expresses  an  abso- 
lute and  finished  fact  in  the  history  of  those  who  sung 
it.  These,  then,  were  a  class  of  redeemed  persons,  re- 
deemed from  this  earth,  redeemed  as  all  others  must 
be  redeemed,  by  the  precious  blood  of  Christ. 

Do  we  in  any  other  place  read  of  such  a  class  of 
redeemed  ones  ?  We  think  Paul  refers  to  the  same 
company  when  he  writes  to  the  Ephesians  thus: 
"  Wherefore  he  saith,  when  he  [Christ]  ascended  up 
on  high,  he  led  captivity  captive  and  gave  gifts  unto 
men."  The  margin  says,  he  led  a  "  multitude  of 
captives."  Eph.  4  :  8.  Going  back  to  the  events 
that  occurred  in  connection  with  the  crucifixion  and 
resurrection  of  Christ,  we  read,  "And  the  graves 


CHAPTER  IV,   VERSES  2-5.  509 

were  opened.  And  many  bodies  of  the  saints  which 
slept  arose,  and  came  out  of  the  graves  after  his  res- 
urrection, and  went  into  the  holy  city,  and  appeared 
unto  many."  Matt.  27  :  52.  Thus  the  answer  to 
our  question  comes  back,  gathered  unmistakably 
from  the  sacred  page.  These  are  some  of  those  who 
came  out  of  their  graves  at  the  resurrection  of  Christ, 
and  who  were  numbered  with  the  illustrious  multi- 
tude which  he  led  up  from  the  captivity  of  Death's 
dark  domain,  when  he  ascended  in  triumph  on  high. 
Matthew  records  their  resurrection  ;  Paul,  their  as- 
cension ;  and  John  beholds  them  in  Heaven  perform- 
ing the  sacred  duties  which  they  were  raised  up  to 
accomplish. 

In  this  view  we  are  not  alone.  Wesley  speaks  as 
follows  concerning  the  four  and  twenty  elders : 
"  Clothed  in  white  raiment.]  This  and  their  golden 
crowns,  show  that  they  had  already  finished  their 
course,  and  taken  their  places  among  the  citizens  of 
Heaven.  They  are  never  termed  souls,  and  hence  it 
is  probable  that  they  had  glorified  bodies  already. 
Compare  Matt.  27:52." 

The  Seven  Lamps  of  Fire.  In  these  lamps  of  fire 
we  have  an  appropriate  antitype  of  the  golden  can- 
dlestick of  the  typical  sanctuary,  with  its  seven  ever- 
burning lamps.  This  candlestick  was  placed  by  di- 
vine direction,  in  the  first  apartment  of  the  earthly 
sanctuary.  Ex.  25  :  31,  32,  37  ;  26  :  35  ;  27  :  20  ; 
etc.  And  now  when  John  tells  us  that  a  door  was 
opened  in  Heaven,  and  in  the  apartment  thus  dis- 
closed to  view  he  sees  the  antitype  of  the  candlestick 


510  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

of  the  earthly  sanctuary,  it  is  good  proof  that  he 
is  looking  into  the  first  apartment  of  the  sanctuary 
above. 

VERSE  6.  And  before  the  throne  there  was  a  sea  of  glass 
like  unto  crystal ;  and  in  the  midst  of  the  throne,  and  round 
about  the  throne,  were  four  beasts  full  of  eyes  before  and 
behind.  7.  And  the  first  beast  was  like  a  lion,  and  the  sec- 
ond beast  like  a  calf,  and  the  third  beast  had  a  face  as  a  man, 
and  the  fourth  beast  was  like  a  flying  eagle.  8.  And  the 
four  beasts  had  each  of  them  six  wings  about  him  ;  and  they 
were  full  of  eyes  within  :  and  they  rest  not  day  and  night, 
saying,  Holy,  holy,  holy,  Lord  God  Almighty,  which  was, 
and  is,  and  is  to  come.  9.  And'Avhen  those  beasts  give  glory, 
and  honor,  and  thanks  to  Him  that  sat  on  the  tbrone,  who 
livcth  forever  and  ever,  10,  The  four  and  twenty  elders  fall 
down  before  Him  that  sat  on  the  throne,  and  worship  Him 
that  liveth  forever  and  ever,  and  cast  their  crowns  before  the 
throne,  saying,  11,  Thou  art  worthy,  O  Lord,  to  receive 
glory,  and  honor,  and  power  ;  for  thou  hast  created  all 
things,  and  for  thy  pleasure  they  are  and  were  created. 

The  Sea  of  Glass.  Not  composed  of  glass,  but  a 
broad  expanse,  resembling  glass ;  that  is,  says  Green- 
field, transparent,  brilliant.  This  idea  is  further 
carried  out  by  its  being  likened  to  crystal,  which  is 
defined  to  mean  "  anything  concreted  and  pellucid, 
like  ice,  or  glass."  The  position  of  this  sea  is  such 
as  to  show  that  it  bears  no  analogy  to  the  laver  of 
the  ancient  typical  service. 

It  may  extend  under,  and  be  the  foundation  of, 
the  throne,  and  even  further,  of  the  city  itself.  It 
is  again  brought  to  view  in  chap.  15  :  2,  as  the  place 
where  the  overcomers,  in  the  ecstatic  joy  of  final 
victory,  will  soon  stand. 


CHAPTER  JF,    VERSES  6-11.  511 

The  Four  Beasts.  It  is  a  very  unhappy  transla- 
lation  which  has  given  us  the  term  "  beasts  "  in  this 
verse.  The  word  C«ov,  denotes  properly  a  living 
creature.  Bloomfield  says,  " '  Four  living  creatures ' 
(not  beasts).  So  Heinr.  renders  it The  pro- 
priety of  this  correction,  is  now,  I  believe,  gener- 
ally agreed  upon  by  commentators.  The  word  is 
very  different  from  i9?p«>f,  used  to  designate  the  pro- 
phetic beasts  in  the  13th  and  following  chapters. 
(Scholefield.)  It  may  be  added  that  Bulkeley  ad- 
duces several  examples  of  Cwof,  to  denote  not  only 
creature,  but  even  a  human  being ;  especially  one 
from  Origen  who  uses  it  of  our  Lord  Jesus." 

Similar  imagery  is  used  in  the  first  chapter  of 
Ezekiel.  The  qualities  which  would  seem  to  be  sig- 
nified by  the  emblems,  are  strength,  perseverance, 
reason,  and  swiftness, — strength,  of  affection ;  per- 
severance, in  carrying  out  the  requirements  of  duty ; 
reason,  in  comprehending  the  divine  will ;  and  swift- 
ness, in  obeying.  These  living  beings  are  even  more 
intimately  connected  with  the  throne  than  the  four 
and  twenty  elders,  being  represented  as  in  the  midst 
of,  and  round  about,  it.  Like  the  elders,  these,  too, 
in  their  song  to  the  Lamb,  ascribe  to  him  praise  for 
having  redeemed  them  from  the  earth.  They  there- 
fore belong  to  the  same  company,  and  represent  a 
part  of  the  great  multitude  who,  as  already  de- 
scribed (see  remarks  on  verse  4),  have  been  led  up 
on  high  from  the  captivity  of  death.  Concerning 
the  object  of  their  redemption,  see  remarks  on  chap- 
ter 5  :  8. 


512  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

They  Rest  Not.  "  Oh  !  happy  unrest ! "  beauti- 
fully exclaims  John  Wesley ;  and  the  theme  of  their 
constant  worship  is,  "  Holy,  holy,  holy,  Lord  God 
Almighty,  which  was,  and  is,  and  is  to  come."  No 
sublimer  strain  ever  issued  from  created  lips.  And 
they  repeat  it  "  day  and  night ; "  or,  continually  ; 
these  terms  only  denoting  the  manner  in  which 
time  is  reckoned  here ;  for  there  can  be  no  night 
where  the  throne  of  God  is. 

We  mortals  are  apt  to  tire  of  the  repetition  of 
the  simple  testimony  we  bear  here  to  the  goodness 
and  mercy  of  God ;  and  we  are  sometimes  tempted 
to  say  nothing,  because  we  cannot  continually  say 
something  new.  But  may  we  not  learn  a  profitable 
lesson  from  the  course  of  these  holy  beings  above, 
who  never  grow  weary  of  the  ceaseless  repetition 
of  these  words,  "  Holy,  holy,  holy,  Lord  God  Al- 
mighty ; "  and  to  whom  these  words  never  grow 
old;  because  their  hearts  ever  glow  with  a  sense  of 
his  holiness,  goodness,  and  love  ?  Their  praise  does 
not  become  to  them  monotonous ;  for  with  every 
utterance  they  gain  a  new  view  of  the  attributes  of 
the  Almighty ;  they  reach  a  greater  hight  of  com- 
prehension in  their  vision  of  his  perfections;  the 
horizon  expands  before  them ;  their  hearts  enlarge  ; 
and  the  new  emotions  of  adoration,  from  their  new 
stand-point,  draw  from  them  a  fresh  utterance  of 
their  holy  salutation,  new  even  to  themselves, "  Holy, 
holy,  holy,  Lord  God  Almighty  !  " 

So,  even  with  us  here,  though  remarks  are  often 
repeated  in  reference  to  the  goodness,  the  mercy, 


CHAPTER  IV,   VERSES  6-11.  513 

and  the  lore  of  God,  the  value  of  his  truth,  and  the 
attractions  of  the  world  to  come,  these  should  not 
grow  stale  upon  the  ear;  for  we  should  all  our 
lives  be  rising  to  new  conceptions  of  the  blessings 
embraced  in  these  glorious  themes. 

Concerning  the  expression,  "which  was,  and  is, 
and  is  to  come',"  see  remarks  on  chap.  1  :  4. 

"  Thou  Art  Worthy,  0  Lord,  to  receive  glory  and 
honor  and  power."  How  worthy,  we  never  shall 
be  able  to  realize,  till,  like  the  holy  beings  who  utter 
this  language,  changed  to  immortality,  we  are  pre- 
sented faultless  before  the  presence  of  his  glory. 
Jude  24. 

Thou  Hast  Created  All  Things.  The  works  of 
creation  furnish  the  foundation  for  the  honor,  glory, 
and  power  ascribed  to  God.  "  And  for  thy  pleas- 
ure," or  through  thy  will,  6ta  r6  defyfia  cov,  they  are, 
and  were  created.  God  willed,  and  all  things  came 
into  existence ;  and  by  the  same  power  they  are 
preserved  and  sustained. 


33 


V. 


THE  HEAVENLY  SANCTUARY  CONTINUED. 

VERSE  1.  And  I  saw  in  the  right  hand  of  Him  that  sat  on 
the  throne  a  book  written  within  and  on  the  back  side, 
sealed  with  seven  seals. 

A  new  chapter  here  opens,  but  not  a  new  scene. 
The  same  view  is  still  before  the  mind  .of  the  apos- 
tle. By  the  words,  "  him  that  sat  on  the  throne," 
is  evidently  meant  the  Father,  as  the  Son  is  subse- 
quently introduced  as  "a  Lamb  as  it  had  been 
slain."  The  book  which  John  here  saw,  contained 
a  revelation  of  scenes  that  were  to  transpire  in  the 
history  of  the  church  to  the  end  of  time.  Its  being 
held  in  the  right  hand  of  Him  that  sat  on  the 
throne  may  signify  that  a  knowledge  of  the  future 
rests  with  God  alone,  only  so  far  as  he  sees  fit  to 
reveal  it  to  others. 

The  Book.  The  books  in  use  at  the  time  the 
Revelation  was  given,  were  not  in  the  form  of 
books  as  now  made.  They  did  not  consist  of  a 
series  of  leaves  bound  together ;  but  were  composed 
of  strips  of  parchment,  or  other  material,  longer  or 
shorter,  one  or  more,  and  rolled  up.  On  this  point, 
Wesley  remarks : — 

"  The  usual  books  of  the  ancients  were  not  like 

(514) 


CHAPTER  F,    VERSE  1. 


515 


ours,  but  were  volumes  or  long  pieces  of  parch- 
ment, rolled  upon  a  long  stick  as  we  frequently  roll 
silks.  Such  was  this  represented,  which  was  sealed 
with  seven  seals.  Not  as  if  the  apostle  saw  all 
the  seals  at  once ;  for  there  were  seven  volumes 
wrapped  up  one  within  another,  each  of  which  was 
sealed;  so  that  upon  opening  and  unrolling  the 
first,  the  second  appeared  to  be  sealed  up  till  that 
was  opened,  and  so  on  to  the  seventh." 

On  the  same  point,  Scott  remarks :  "It  appeared 
as  a  roll,  consisting  of  several  parchments,  accord- 
ing to  the  custom  of  those  times ;  and  though  it 
was  supposed  to  be  written  within,  yet  nothing 
could  be  read  till  the  seals  were  loosed.  It  was 
afterward  found  to  contain  seven  parchments,  or 
small  volumes,  each  of  which  was  separately 
sealed ;  but  if  all  the  seals  had  been  on  the  outside, 
nothing  could  have  been  read  till  they  had  all  been 
loosed ;  whereas  the  loosing  of  each  seal  was  fol- 
lowed by  some  discovery  of  the  contents  of  the  roll. 
Yet  the  appearance  on  the  outside  seems  to  have 
indicated  that  it  consisted  of  seven,  or  at  least  of 
several,  parts." 

Bloomfield  says,  "  The  long  rolls  of  parchment 
used  by  the  ancients,  which  we  call  books,  were 
seldom  written  but  on  one  side;  namely,  that 
which  was,  in  rolling,  turned  inward."  So,  doubt- 
less, this  book  was  not  written  within  and  on  the 
backside,  as  the  punctuation  of  our  common  ver- 
sion makes  it  read.  "  Grotius,  Lowman,  Fuller, 
&c.,"  says  the  Cottage  Bible,  "  remove  the  comma 


516  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

thus :  '  Written  within,  and  on  the  back  (or  out- 
side) sealed,'  &c."  How  these  seals  were  placed, 
is  sufficiently  explained  in  the  notes  from  Wesley 
and  Scott,  given  above. 

VERSE  2.  And  I  saw  a  strong  angel  proclaiming  with  a 
loud  voice,  Who  is  worthy  to  open  the  book,  and  to  loose  the 
seals  thereof?  3.  And  no  man  in  Heaven,  nor  in  earth, 
neither  under  the  earth,  was  able  to  open  the  book,  neither 
to  look  thereon.  4.  And  I  wept  much,  because  no  man  was 
found  worthy  to  open  and  to  read  the  book,  neither  to  look 
thereon. 

The  Challenge.  God,  as  it  were,  holds  forth  this 
book  to  the  view  of  the  universe,  and  a  strong  angel, 
one  doubtless  of  great  eminence  and  power,  comes 
forth  as  a  crier,  and  with  a  mighty  voice  challenges 
all  creatures  in  the  universe  to  try  the  strength  of 
their  wisdom  in  opening  the  counsels  of  God.  Who 
can  be  found  worthy  to  open  the  book  and  loose  the 
seals  thereof  ?  A  pause  ensues.  In  silence  the  uni- 
verse owns  its  inabilhty  and  unworthiness  to  enter 
into  the  counsels  of  the  Creator.  "  And  no  man  in 
Heaven,"  6wJ«f,  not  merely  no  man,  but  no  one,  no  be- 
ing in  Heaven.  Is  not  here  proof  that  the  faculties 
of  angels  are  limited,  like  those  of  man,  in  respect  to 
penetrating  the  future  and  disclosing  what  is  to  come? 
And  when  the  apostle  saw  that  no  one  came  forward 
to  open  the  book,  he  greatly  feared  that  the  counsels 
of  God  which  it  contained,  in  reference  to  his  people, 
would  never  be  disclosed,  and  in  the  natural  tender- 
ness of  his  feelings,  and  concern  for  the  church,  he 
wept  much.  "How  far  are  they,"  says  Wesley, 


CHAPTER  F,    VERSES  5-7.  517 

"  from  the  temper  of  St.  John,  who  inquire  after  any- 
thing rather  than  the  contents  of  this  book  ! " 

Upon  the  phrase  "  I  wept  much,"  Benson  offers  the 
following  beautiful  remarks :  "  Being  greatly  affected 
with  the  thought  that  no  being  whatsoever  was  to 
be  found  able  to  understand,  reveal,  and  accomplish 
the  divine  counsels,  fearing  they  would  still  remain 
concealed  from  the  church.  This  weeping  of  the 
apostle  sprang  from  greatness  of  mind.  The  tender- 
ness of  heart,  which  he  always  had,  appeared  more 
clearly  now  he  was  out  of  his  own  power.  The  Rev- 
elation was  not  written  without  tears,  neither  with- 
out tears  will  it  be  understood." 

VERSE  5.  And  one  of  the  elders  saith  unto  me,  Weep  not  : 
behold  the  Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  the  root  of  David, 
hath  prevailed  to  open  the  book,  and  to  loose  the  seven  seals 
thereof.  6.  And  I  beheld,  and,  lo,  in  the  midst  of  the 
throne  and  of  the  four  beasts,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  elders, 
stood  a  Lamb  as  it  had  been  slain,  having  seven  horns  and 
seven  eyes,  which  are  the  seven  spirits  of  God  sent  forth  in- 
to all  the  earth.  7.  And  he  came  and  took  the  book  out  of 
the  right  hand  of  Him  that  sat  upon  the  throne. 

Not  long  is  John  permitted  to  weep.  God  is  not 
willing  that  any  knowledge  which  can  be  of  bene- 
fit to  his  people,  shall  be  withheld.  Provision  is 
made  for  the  opening  of  the  book.  Hence,  one  of 
the  elders  says  to  him,  "  Weep  not  ;  behold  the  Lion 
of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  the  Root  of  David,  hath 
prevailed  to  open  the  book,  and  to  loose  the  seven 
.seals  thereof."  Why  one  of  the  elders  should  im- 
part this  information  to  John,  in  preference  to  some 
other  being,  does  not  appear,  unless  it  is  that  hav- 


518  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

ing  been  redeemed,  they  would  be  especially  inter- 
ested in  all  that  pertained  to  the  welfare  of  the 
church  on  earth.  Christ  is  here  called  the  "  Lion 
of  the  tribe  of  Judah."  Why  called  a  lion  ?  and 
why  of  the  tribe  of  Judah  ?  As  to  the  first,  it  is 
probably  to  denote  his  strength.  As  the  lion  is  the 
king  of  beasts,  the  monarch  of  the  forest,  he  thus 
becomes  a  fit  emblem  of  kingly  authority  and 
power.  "  Of  the  tribe  of  Judah."  Doubtless  he 
receives  this  appellation  from  the  prophecy  in  Gen. 
49  :  9,  10. 

The  Root  of  David.  The  source  and  sustainer 
of  David  as  to  his  position  and  power.  That 
David's  position  was  specially  ordained  of  Christ, 
and  that  he  was  specially  sustained  by  him,  there 
can  be  no  doubt.  David  was  the  type,  Christ  the 
antitype.  David's  throne  and  reign  over  Israel 
was  a  type  of  Christ's  reign  over  his  people.  He 
shall  reign  upon  the  throne  of  his  father  David. 
Luke  1 :  32,  33.  As  Christ  appeared  in  the  line  of 
David's  descendants  when  he  took  upon  himself 
our  nature,  he  is  also  called  the  offspring  of  David, 
and  a  root  out  of  the  stem  of  Jesse.  Isa.  11  : 1,  10  ; 
Rev.  22 : 16.  His  connection  with  the  throne  of 
David  being  thus  set  forth,  and  his  right  thus 
shown  to  rule  over  the  people  of  God,  there  was  a 
propriety  in  entrusting  to  him  the  opening  of  the 
seals. 

Hath  Prevailed.  These  words  indicate  that  the 
right  to  open  the  book  was  acquired  by  a  victory 
gained  in  some  previous  conflict.  And  so  we  find 


CHAPTER  F,   VERSES  5-7.  519 

it  set  forth  in  subsequent  portions  of  this  chapter. 
The  very  next  scene  introduces  us  to  the  great 
work  of  Christ  as  the  Redeemer  of  the  world,  the 
shedding  of  his  blood  for  the  remission  of  sin,  and 
the  salvation  of  man.  In  this  work  he  was  sub- 
jected to  the  fiercest  assaults  of  Satan.  But  he  en- 
dured his  temptations,  bore  the  agonies  of  the  cross, 
rose  a  victor  over  death  and  the  grave,  made  the 
way  of  redemption  sure,  triumphed !  Hence  the 
four  living  beings  and  the  four  and  twenty  elders 
sing,  "  Thou  art  worthy  to  take  the  book  and  to 
open  the  seals  thereof;  for  thou  wast  slain,  and 
hast  redeemed  us  to  God  by  thy  blood." 

John  looks  to  see  the  Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah, 
and  beholds  a  Lamb  in  the  midst  of  the  throne  and 
of  the  four  living  beings  and  the  elders,  as  it  had 
been  slain. 

In  the  Midst  of  the  Throne.  Doddridge  trans- 
lates thus :  "  And  I  beheld  in  the  middle  space  be- 
tween the  throne  and  the  four  living  creatures,  and 
in  the  midst  of  the  elders,  there  stood  a  Lamb,"  &c. 
In  the  center  of  the  scene  was  the  throne  of  the 
Father,  and  standing  in  the  open  space  which  sur- 
rounded it,  was  the  Son,  set  forth  under  the  sym- 
bol of  a  slain  lamb.  Around  these  there  stood 
those  saints  who  had  been  redeemed :  first,  those 
represented  by  the  four  living  creatures,  then  the 
elders  forming  the  second  circle,  and  the  angels, 
verse  11,  forming  a  third  circle.  The  worthiness 
of  Christ  as  he  thus  stands  forth  under  the  figure 
of  a  slain  lamb,  is  the  admiration  of  all  the  holy 
throng. 


520  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  ME  DELATION. 

As  It  Had  Been  Slain.  Woodhouse,  as  quoted  in 
the  Comprehensive  Commentary,  says  :  "  The  Greek 
implies  that  the  Lamb  appeared  with  a  wounded 
neck  and  throat,  as  if  smitten  at  the  altar  as  a  vic- 
tim." On  this  phrase  Clarke  says  :  "  As  if  now  in  the 
act  of  being  offered.  This  is  very  remarkable  ;  so 
important  is  the  sacrificial  offering  of  Christ  in  the 
sight  of  God,  that  he  is  still  represented  as  being-  in 
the  very  act  of  pouring  out  his  blood  for  the  offenses 
of  man.  This  gives  great  advantage  to  faith  ;  when 
any  soul  comes  to  the  throne  of  grace,  he  finds  a  sac- 
rifice there  provided  for  him  to  offer  to  God." 

Seven  Horns  and  Seven  Eyes.  Horns  are  sym- 
bols of  power,  eyes  of  wisdom  ;  and  seven  is  a  num- 
ber denoting  completion  or  perfection.  We  are  thus 
taught  that  perfect  power  and  perfect  wisdom  inhere 
in  the  Lamb,  through  the  operation  of  the  Spirit  of 
God,  called  the  seven  spirits  of  God,  to  denote  the 
fullness  and  perfection  of  its  operation. 

He  Came  and  Took  the  Book.  Commentators 
have  found  an  incongruity  in  the  idea  of  a  lamb's 
taking  the  book,  etc.,  and  have  had  recourse  to  sev- 
eral expedients  to  avoid  the  difficulty.  But  is  it  not 
a  well-established  principle  that  any  action  may  be 
attributed  to  a  symbol,  which  could  be  appropriately 
performed  by  the  person  or  being  represented,  by  the 
symbol  ?  And  is  not  this  all  the  explanation  that 
the  passage  needs  ?  The  lamb,  we  know,  is  a  sym- 
bol of  Christ.  We  know  there  is  nothing  incongru- 
ous in  Christ's  taking  a  book;  and  when  we  read 
that  the  book  was  taken,  we  think  of  the  action  not 


CHAPTER   V,    VEltSES  8-10.  521 

as  performed  by  the  lamb,  but  by  the  one  of  whom 
the  lamb  is  a  symbol. 

VERSE  8.  And  when  he  had  taken  the  book,  the  four 
beasts  and  four  and  twenty  elders  fell  down  before  the 
Lamb,  having  every  one  of  them  harps,  and  golden  vials  full 
of  odors,  which  are  the  prayers  of  saints.  9.  And  they  sung 
a  new  song,  saying,  Thou  art  worthy  to  take  the  book,  and 
to  open  the  seals  thereof  ;  for  thou  wast  slain,  and  hast  re- 
deemed us  to  God  by  thy  blood  out  of  every  kindred,  and 
tongue,  and  people,  and  nation  ;  10  ;  and  hast  made  us  unto 
our  God  kings  and  priests  ;  and  we  shall  reign  on  the  earth. 

Vials  Full  of  Odors.  From  this  expression  we 
get  an  idea  of  the  employment  of  those  redeemed 
ones  represented  by  the  four  living  creatures  and  the 
four  and  twenty  elders.  They  have  golden  vials  or 
vessels  full  of  odors,  or,  as  the  margin  reads,  incense, 
which  are  the  prayers  of  saints.  This  is  a  work  of 
ministry  such  as  pertains  to  priests. 

Says  Scott :  "  It  is  indisputably  manifest  that  the 
four  living  creatures  join  in,  or  rather  lead,  the  wor- 
ship of  the  Lamb  as  having  redeemed  them  to  God  ; 
and  this  proves  beyond  controversy  tbat  part  of  the 
redeemed  church  is  meant  by  this  emblem,  and  not 
angels  whose  worship  is  next  described,  but  in  lan- 
guage evidently  different." 

A.  Barnes,  in  his  notes  on  this  passage,  remarks  : 
"  The  idea  here  is,  therefore,  that  the  representatives 
of  the  church  in  Heaven — the  elders — spoken  of  as 
'priests'  are  described  as  officiating  in  the  temple 
above,  in  behalf  of  the  church  still  below,  and  as  of- 
fering incense  while  the  church  is  engaged  in  prayer." 

The  reader  will  remember  that  in  the  ancient  typ- 


522  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

ical  service,  the  high  priest  had  many  assistants  ;  and 
when  we  consider  that  we  are  now  looking  into  the 
sanctuary  in  Heaven,  the  conclusion  at  once  follows 
that  these  redeemed  ones  are  the  assistants  of  our 
great  High  Priest  above.  For  this  purpose  they 
were  doubtless  redeemed.  And  what  could  be  more 
appropriate  than  that  our  Lord  in  his  priestly  work 
for  the  human  race,  should  be  assisted  by  noble  mem- 
bers of  that  race  whose  holiness  of  life  and  purity  of 
character  had  fitted  them  to  be  raised  up  for  that 
purpose.  See  remarks  on  chapter  4  :  4. 

We  are  aware  that  many  entertain  a  great  aver- 
sion to  the  idea  of  there  being  anything  real  and 
tangible  in  Heaven ;  and  we  can  easily  anticipate 
that  the  views  here  presented  will  be  altogether 
too  literal  for  such.  To  sustain  themselves  in 
their  position  they  dwell  much  on  the  fact  that 
the  language  is  highly  figurative;  and  that  we 
cannot  suppose  there  are  or  were  any  such  things 
in  Heaven  as  John  describes.  We  reply  that, 
though  the  Revelation  deals  largely  in  figures,  it 
does  not  deal  in  fictions.  There  is  reality  in  all 
the  scenes  described ;  and  we  gain  an  understand- 
ing of  the  reality,  when  we  get  a  correct  inter- 
pretation of  the  figures.  Thus  in  this  vision,  we 
know  that  the  One  upon  the  throne  is  God.  He 
is  really  there.  We  know  the  Lamb  symbolizes 
Christ.  He  too  is  really  there.  He  ascended  with 
a  literal,  tangible  body ;  and  who  can  say  that  he 
does  not  still  retain  it  ?  If,  then,  our  great  High 
Priest  is  a  literal  being,  he  must  have  a  literal  place 


CHAPTER   V,   VERSES  8-10.  523 

in  which  to  minister.  And  if  the  four  living  creat- 
ures and  the  four  and  twenty  elders  represent  those 
whom  Christ  led  up  from  the  captivity  of  death  at 
the  time  of  his  resurrection  and  ascension,  why  are 
they  not  just  as  literal  beings  while  there  in  Heaven 
as  they  were  when  they  ascended  ? 

The  Song.  It  is  called  "  a  new  song,"  new  prob- 
ably in  respect  to  the  occasion  and  the  composi- 
tion. They  were  the  first  that  could  sing  it,  be- 
ing the  first  that  were  redeemed.  They  call  them- 
selves kings  and  priests.  In  what  sense  they  are 
priests  has  already  been  noticed,  they  being  the  as- 
sistants of  Christ  in  his  priestly  work.  In  the 
same  sense  probably  they  are  also  kings ;  for  Christ 
is  set  down  with  his  Father  on  his  throne,  and 
doubtless  these,  as  ministers  of  his,  have  some  part 
to  act  in  connection  with  the  government  of  Heaven 
in  reference  to  this  world. 

The  Anticipation.  "  We  shall  reign  on  the  earth." 
Thus,  notwithstanding  they  are  redeemed,  and 
surround  the  throne  of  God,  and  are  in  the  presence 
of  the  Lamb  that  redeemed  them,  and  are  sur- 
rounded with  the  angelic  hosts  of  Heaven,  where 
all  is  glory  ineffable,  their  song  contemplates  a  still 
higher  state,  when  the  great  work  of  redemption 
shall  be  completed,  and  they,  with  the  whole  re- 
deemed family  of  God  of  every  age,  shall  reign  on 
the  earth,  which  is  the  promised  inheritance,  and  is 
to  be  the  final  and  eternal  residence  of  the  saints. 
Rom.  4:13;  Gal.  3  :  29  ;  Ps.  37  : 11  ;  Matt.  5:5; 
2  Pet.  3:13;  Isa.  G5  :  17-25  ;  Rev.  21  : 1-5. 


524  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

VERSE  11.  And  I  beheld,  and  I  heard  the  voice  of  many 
angels  round  about  the  throne,  and  the  beasts,  and  the  eld- 
ers ;  and  the  number  of  them  was  ten  thousand  times  ten 
thousand,  and  thousands  of  thousands  ;  12  ;  Saying  with  a 
loud  voice,  Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that  was  slain  to  receive 
power,  and  riches,  and  wisdom,  and  strength,  and  honor,  and 
glory,  and  blessing. 

The  Heavenly  Sanctuary.  How  little  concep- 
tion have  we  of  the  magnitude  and  glory  of  the 
heavenly  temple !  Into  that  temple  John  was  in- 
troduced at  the  opening  of  chapter  4,  by  the  door 
which  was  opened  in  Heaven.  Into  the  same  tem- 
ple, be  it  remembered,  he  is  still  looking  in  verses 
11  and  12.  And  now  he  beholds  the  heavenly 
hosts.  1.  Round  about  the  throne  are  those  repre- 
sented by  the  four  living  creatures.  2.  Next  come 
the  four  and  twenty  elders.  3.  Then  John  views, 
surrounding  the  whole,  a  multitude  of  the  heavenly 
angels.  How  many  ?  How  many  would  we  be 
likely  to  suppose  could  convene  within  the  heav- 
enly temple  ?  "  Ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand," 
exclaims  the  seer.  In  this  expression  alone  we 
have  one  hundred  millions !  And  then,  as  if  no 
arithmetical  expression  was  adequate  to  embrace 
the  countless  throng,  he  further  adds,  "  And  thou- 
sands of  thousands  ! "  Well  might  Paul  call  this, 
in  Heb.  11  :  22,  "an  innumerable  company  of  an- 
gels." And  these  were  in  the  sanctuary  above. 
Such  was  the  company  that  John  saw  assembled  at 
the  place  where  the  worship  of  a  universe  centers, 
and  where  the  wondrous  plan  of  human  redemption 
is  being  carried  forward  to  completion.  And  the 


CKAJ>TER   V,    VJZlttiJEti  13,  14.  525 

central  object  in  this  innumerable  and  holy  throng, 
was  the  Lamb  of  God ;  and  the  central  act  of  his 
life,  which  claimed  their  admiration,  was  the  shed- 
ding of  his  blood  for  the  salvation  of  fallen  man ; 
for  every  voice  in  all  that  heavenly  host  joined  in 
the  ascription  which  was  raised,  "Worthy  is  the 
Lamb  that  was  slain,  to  receive  power,  and  riches, 
and  wisdom,  and  strength,  and  honor,  and  glory, 
and  blessing."  Fitting  assemblage  for  such  a 
place  !  Fitting  song  of  adoration  to  be  raised  to 
Him  who  by  the  shedding  of  his  blood  became  a 
ransom  for  many,  and  who,  as  our  great  High 
Priest,  still  pleads  its  merits  in  the  sanctuary  above 
in  our  behalf.  And  here,  before  such  an  august 
assemblage,  must  our  characters  soon  come  up  in 
final  review.  What  shall  fit  us  for  the  searching 
ordeal  ?  And  what  shall  enable  us  to  rise  and 
stand  at  last  with  the  sinless  throng  above  ?  Oh, 
infinite  merit  of  the  blood  of  Christ !  which  can 
cleanse  us  from  all  our  pollutions,  and  make  us 
meet  to  tread  the  holy  hill  of  Zion !  Oh,  infinite 
grace  of  God !  which  can  prepare  us  to  endure  the 
glory,  and  give  us  boldness  to  enter  into  his  pres- 
ence, even  with  exceeding  joy. 

VERSE  13.  And  every  creature  which  is  in  Heaven,  and 
on  the  earth,  and  under  the  earth,  and  such  as  are  in  the 
sea,  and  all  that  are  in  them,  heard  I  saying,  Blessing  and 
honor,  and  glory  and  power,  be  unto  Him  that  sitteth  upon 
the  throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb  forever  and  ever.  14.  And 
the  four  beasts  said,  Amen.  And  the  four  and  twenty  elders 
fell  down  and  worshiped  Him  that  liveth  forever  and  ever. 

A  Clean  Universe.     In  verse  13  we  have  an  in- 


596  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

stance  of  what  very  frequently  occurs  in  the  Script- 
ures, namely,  a  declaration  thrown  in  out  of  its 
chronological  order,  for  the  purpose  of  following  out 
to  its  completion  some  previous  statement  or  allu- 
sion. In  this  instance  the  time  is  anticipated  when 
redemption  is  finished.  In  verse  10,  the  four  living 
creatures  and  four  and  twenty  elders  had  declared, 
"  We  shall  reign  on  the  earth."  Now  the  prophet's 
mind  is  caught  right  forward  to  that  time.  The 
greatest  act  of  Christ's  inter \ en tion  for  man,  the 
shedding  of  his  blood  having  been  introduced,  noth- 
ing could  be  more  natural  than  that  the  vision  should, 
for  a  moment,  look  over  to  the  time  when  the  grand 
result  of  the  work  then  introduced,  should  be  accom- 
plished, the  number  of  the  redeemed  be  made  up,  the 
universe  be  freed  from  sin  and  sinners,  and  a  uni- 
versal song  of  adoration  go  up  to  God  and  the  Lamb. 

It  is  futile  to  attempt  to  apply  this  to  the  church 
in  its  present  state,  as  most  commentators  do,  or  to 
any  time  in  the  past  since  sin  entered  the  world,  or 
even  since  Satan  fell  from  his  high  position  as  an 
angel  of  light  and  love  in  Heaven.  For  at  the  time 
of  which  John  speaks,  every  creature  in  Heaven  and 
on  earth,  without  any  exception,  was  sending  up  its 
anthem  of  blessings  to  God.  But  to  speak  only  of 
this  world  since  the  fall,  cursings  instead  of  bless- 
ings have  been  breathed  out  against  God  and  his 
throne,  from  the  great  majority  of  our  apostate 
race.  And  so  it  will  ever  be  while  sin  reigns. 

We  find,  then,  no  place  for  this  scene  which  John 
describes,  unless  we  do  go  forward,  according  to  the 


CHAPTER  F,    VERSES  IS,  14.  527 

position  above  taken,  to  the  time  when  the  whole 
scheme  of  redemption  is  completed,  and  the  saints 
enter  upon  their  promised  reign  on  the  earth,  to 
which  the  living  creatures  and  elders  looked  for- 
ward in  their  song  in  verse  10.  With  this  view,  all 
is  harmonious  and  plain.  That  reign  on  the  earth 
commences  after  the  second  resurrection.  Dan  7 : 
27  ;  2  Pet.  3  : 13  ;  Rev.  21  : 1.  At  that  resurrection, 
which  takes  place  a  thousand  years  subsequently  to 
the  first  resurrection,  Rev.  20 : 4,  5,  occurs  the  per- 
dition of  ungodly  men.  2  Pet.  3  :  7.  Then  fire 
comes  down  from  God  out  of  Heaven  and  devours 
them.  Rev.  20  :  9  ;  and  this  fire  that  causes  the 
perdition  of  ungodly  men,  is  the  fire  that  melts  and 
purifies  the  earth,  as  we  learn  from  2  Pet.  3 : 7-13. 
Then  sin  and  sinners  are  destroyed,  the  earth  is  pu- 
rified, the  curse  with  all  its  ills  is  forever  wiped 
away,  the  righteous  "  shine  forth  as  the  sun  in  the 
kingdom  of  their  Father,"  and  from  a  clean  uni- 
verse, an  anthem  of  praise  and  thanksgiving  as- 
cends to  God.  In  all  the  fair  domain  of  the  great 
Creator,  there  is  then  no  room  for  a  vast  receptacle 
of  fire  and  brimstone,  where  myriads,  preserved  by 
the  direct  power  of  a  God  of  mercy,  shall  burn  and 
writhe  in  unspeakable  and  eternal  torment.  In 
this  glad  anthem  of  jubilee  there  is  no  room  for  the 
discordant  and  hopeless  wailings  of  the  damned, 
and  the  curses  and  blasphemies  of  those  who  are 
sinning  and  suffering  beyond  the  pale  of  hope. 
Every  rebel  voice  has  been  hushed  in  death. 
They  have  been  burned  up  root  and  branch,  Satan 


528  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

and  all  his  followers,  deceiver  and  deceived.  Mai. 
4:1;  Heb.  2  : 14.  Into  smoke  have  they  consumed 
away.  Ps.  37  :  20.  Like  the  perishable  chaff  have 
they  vanished  in  the  flames.  Matt.  3  :  12.  They 
have  been  annihilated,  not  as  matter,  but  as  con- 
scious and  intelligent  beings  ;  for  they  have  become 
as  though  they  had  not  been.  Obad.  16. 

To  the  Lamb,  equally  with  the  Father  who  sits 
upon  the  throne,  praise  is  ascribed  in  this  song  of 
adoration.  Commentators,  with  great  unanimity, 
have  seized  upon  this  as  proof  that  Christ  must  be 
co- existent  with  the  Father ;  for  otherwise,  say 
they,  here  would  be  worship  paid  to  the  creature 
which  belongs  only  to  the  Creator.  How  does  it 
prove  this  ?  We  read  that  Christ  is  the  beginning 
of  the  creation  of  God,  Rev.  3  :  14,  where  see  note, 
and  that  all  subsequent  creations  of  conscious  intel- 
ligences or  inanimate  things,  were  made  through 
him.  John  1:3;  Heb.  1:2.  The  word  "by"  in 
both  these  instances  is  from  the  Greek  &a.  To  all 
beings,  therefore,  of  a  lower  order  than  himself, 
Christ  holds  the  relation  of  joint-creator.  Could 
not  the  Father  ordain  that  to  such  a  being,  worship 
should  be  rendered  equally  with  himself,  without 
its  being  idolatry  on  the  part  of  the  worshiper? 
He  has  raised  him  to  positions  which  make  it 
proper  that  he  should  be  worshipped,  and  has  even 
commanded  that  it  should  be  done;  neither  of 
which  acts  would  have  been  necessary,  had  he  been 
equal  with  the  Father  in  eternity  of  existence. 
Christ  himself  declares  that "  as  the  Father  hath  life 


CHAPTER  F,   VERSES  13,  14-  529 

in  himself,  so  hath  he  given  to  the  Son  to  have  life 
in  himself."  John  5  :  26.  On  another  occasion  he 
says,  All  power  is  given  unto  me  in  Heaven  and 
in  earth.  Matt.  28:18.  Paul  declares  of  Christ 
that  the  Father  has  highly  exalted  him  and  given 
him  a  name  above  every  name.  Phil.  2  :  9.  And 
the  Father  himself  says,  "  Let  all  the  angels  of  God 
worship  him."  Heb  1  :  6.  These  testimonies  show 
that  Christ  is  now  an  object  of  worship  equally 
with  the  Father ;  but  they  do  not  prove  that  with 
him  he  holds  an  eternity  of  past  existence. 

Coming  back  from  the  glorious  scene  anticipated 
in  verse  13,  to  events  transpiring  in  the  Heavenly 
sanctuary  before  him,  the  prophet  hears  the  four 
living  creatures  exclaim,  Amen.  Their  exclamation 
thus  comes  in  as  a  response  to  what  is  said  in  verses 
12  and  13.  And  the  four  and  twenty  elders  then 
fell  down  and  worshipped  Him  that  liveth  forever 
and  ever.  - 


Cfl^ptef  VI. 


THE  SEVEN  SEALS. 

VERSE  1.  And  I  saw  when  the  Lamb  opened  one  of  the 
seals,  and  I  heard,  as  it  were  the  noise  of  thunder,  one  of 
the  four  beasts  saying,  Come  and  see.  2.  And  I  saw,  and 
behold  a  white  horse  ;  and  he  that  sat  on  him  had  a  bow  ; 
and  a  crown  was  given  unto  him,  and  he  went  forth  conquer- 
ing and  to  conquer. 

Having  taken  the  book,  the  Lamb  proceeds  at 
once  to  open  the  seals ;  and  the  attention  of  the 
apostle  is  called  to  the  scenes  that  transpire  under 
each  seal.  The  number  seven  has  already  been 
noticed  as  denoting  in  the  Scriptures  completion 
and  perfection.  The  seven  seals,  therefore,  em- 
brace the  whole  of  a  certain  class  of  events,  reach- 
ing down  to  the  close  of  probationary  time. 
Hence  to  say,  as  some  do,  that  the  seals  denote  a 
series  of  events,  reaching  down  perhaps  to  the  time 
of  Constantine,  and  the  seven  trumpets  another 
series  from  that  time  further  on,  cannot  be  correct. 
The  trumpets  denote  a  series  of  events  which  trans- 
pire contemporaneously  with  the  events  of  the 
seals,  but  of  an  entirely  different  character.  A 
trumpet  is  a  symbol  of  war.  Hence  the  trumpets 
denote  great  political  commotions  to  take  place 

(530) 


CHAPTER  VI,   VERSES  1,  2.  531 

among  the  nations  during  the  gospel  age.  The 
seals  denote  events  of  a  religious  character,  and 
contain  the  history  of  the  church  from'  the  opening 
of  the  Christian  era  to  the  coming  of  Christ. 

Commentators  have  raised  a  question  concerning 
the  manner  in  which  these  scenes  were  represented 
before  the  apostle.  Was  it  merely  a  written  de- 
j  scription  of  the  events,  which  was  read  to  him  as 
each  successive  seal  was  opened  ?  or  was  it  a  pic- 
torial illustration  of  the  events  which  the  book  con- 
tained, and  which  was  presented  before  him  as  the 
seals  were  broken  ?  or  was  it  a  scenic  representa- 
tion which  passed  before  him,  the  different  actors 
coming  forth  and  performing  their  parts  ?  Barnes 
decides  in  favor  of  calling  them  pictorial  illustra- 
tions. For  he  thinks  a  merely  written  description 
would  not  answer  to  the  language  of  the  apostle, 
setting  forth  what  he  saw ;  and  a  mere  scenic 
representation  could  have  no  connection  with  the 
opening  of  the  seals.  But  to  this  view  of  Barnes' 
there  are  at  least  two  serious  objections:  1.  The 
book  was  said  to  contain  only  writing  within,  not 
pictorial  illustrations ;  and  2.  John  saw  the  char- 
acters which  made  up  the  various  scenes,  not  fixed 
and  motionless  upon  canvass,  but  living  and  mov- 
ing, and  engaging  actively  in  the  parts  assigned 
them.  The  view  which  seems  most  consistent  to 
us,  is,  that  the  book  contained  a  record  of  events 
which  were  to  transpire ;  and  when  the  seals  were 
broken  and  the  record-  was  brought  to  light,  the 
scenes  were  presented  before  John,  not  by  the  de- 


532  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

scription  being  read,  but  by  a  representation  of 
what  was  described  in  the  book,  being  made  to  pass 
before  his  mind  in  living  characters,  in  the  place 
where  the  reality  was  to  transpire,  namely,  on  the 
earth. 

The  first  symbol,  a  white  horse,  and  the  rider 
who  bears  a  bow  and  to  whom  a  crown  is  given, 
and  who  goes  forth  conquering  and  to  conquer,  is  a 
fit  emblem  of  the  triumphs  of  the  gospel  in  the 
first  century  of  this  dispensation;  the  whiteness 
of  the  horse  denoting  the  purity  of  faith  in  that 
age,  and  the  crown  which  was  given  to  the  rider, 
and  his  going  forth  conquering  and  to  make  still 
further  conquests,  the  zeal  and  success  with  which 
the  truth  was  promulgated  by  its  earliest  ministers. 
To  this  it  is  objected  that  the  ministers  of  Christ 
and  the  progress  of  the  gospel  could  not  be  prop- 
erly represented  by  such  warlike  symbols.  But  we 
ask,  By  what  symbols  could  the  work  of  Chris- 
tianity better  be  represented  when  it  went  forth  as 
an  aggressive  principle  against  the  huge  systems  of 
error  with  which  it  had  at  first  to  contend  ?  The 
rider  upon  this  horse  went  forth.  Where  ?  His 
commission  was  unlimited.  The  gospel  was  to  all 
the  world. 

VERSE  3.  And  when  he  had  opened  the  second  seal,  I 
heard  the  second  beast  say,  Come  and  see.  4.  And  there 
went  out  another  horse  that  was  red  ;  and  power  was  given 
to  him  that  sat  thereon  to  take  'peace  from  the  earth,  and 
that  they  should  kill  one  another  ;  and  there  was  given  unto 
him  a  great  sword. 


CHAPTER   VI,   VERSES  5,  4-  533 

Perhaps  the  first  noticeable  feature  in  these  sym- 
bols, is  the  contrast  in  the  color  of  the  horses.  This 
is  doubtless  designed  to  be  significant.  If  the 
whiteness  of  the  first  horse  denoted  the  purity  of 
the  gospel  in  the  period  which  that  symbol  covers, 
the  redness  of  the  second  horse  would  denote  that 
in  this  period  that  original  purity  began  to  be  cor- 
rupted. The  mystery  of  iniquity  already  worked 
in  Paul's  day ;  and  the  professed  church  of  Christ, 
it  would  seem,  was  now  so  far  corrupted  by  it  as 
to  require  this  change  in  the  color  of  the  symbol. 
Errors  began  to  arise.  Worldliness  came  in.  The 
ecclesiastical  power  sought  the  alliance  of  the  secu- 
lar. Troubles  and  commotions  were  the  result. 
The  spirit  of  this  period  perhaps  reached  its  climax 
as  we  come  down  to  the  days  of  Constantine,  the 
first  so-called  Christian  Emperor,  whose  conversion 
to  Christianity  is  dated  by  Mosheim  in  A.  D.  323. 

Of  this  period  Dr.  Rice  remarks :  "  It  represents 
a  secular  period  or  union  of  church  and  State. 
Constantine  aided  the  clergy  and  put  them  under 
obligations  to  him.  He  legislated  for  the  church, 
called  the  Council  of  Nicsea,  and  was  most  promi- 
nent in  that  Council.  Constantine,  not  the  gospel, 
had  the  glory  of  tearing  down  the  heathen  temples. 
The  State  had  the  glory  instead  of  the  church. 
Constantine  made  decrees  against  some  errors,  and 
was  praised,  and  suffered  to  go  on  and  introduce 
many  other  errors,  and  oppose  some  important 
truths.  Controversies  arose,  and  when  a  new  em- 
peror took  the  throne,  there  was  a  rush  of  the 


534  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

clergy  to  get  him  on  the  side  of  their  peculiar  ten- 
ets. Mosheim  says  of  this  period,  '  There  was  con- 
tinual war  and  trouble/  " 

This  state  of  things  answers  well  to  the  declara- 
tion of  the  prophet,  that  power  was  given  to  him 
that  sat  on  the  horse  "to  take  peace  from  the 
earth,  and  that  they  should  kill  one  another;  and 
there  was  given  unto  him  a  great  sword."  The 
Christianity  of  that  time  had  mounted  the  throne, 
and  bore  the  emblem  of  the  civil  power. 

VERSE  5.  And  when  he  had  opened  the  third  seal,  I  heard 
the  third  beast  say,  Come  and  see.  And  I  beheld,  and  lo,  a 
black  horse  ;  and  he  that  sat  on  him  had  a  pair  of  balances 
in  his  hand.  6.  And  I  heard  a  voice  in  the  midst  of  the 
four  beasts  say,  A  measure  of  wheat  for  a  penny,  and  three 
measures  of  barley  for  a  penny  ;  and  see  theu  hurt  not  the 
oil  and  the  wine. 

How  rapidly  the  work  of  corruption  progresses ! 
What  a  contrast  between  this  symbol  and  the  first 
one !  A  black  horse ;  the  very  opposite  of  the  first. 
A  period  of  great  darkness  and  moral  corruption  in 
the  church  must  be  denoted  by  this  symbol.  By 
the  events  of  the  second  seal,  the  way  was  fully 
opened  for  that  state  of  things  to  be  brought  about 
which  is  here  presented.  The  time  that  intervened 
between  the  reign  of  Constantine  and  the  establish- 
ment of  the  papacy  in  A.  D.  538,  may  be  justly 
noted  as  the  time  when  the  darkest  errors  and 
grossest  superstitions  sprung  up  in  the  church.  Of 
a  period  immediately  succeeding  the  days  of  Con- 
stantine, Mosheim  says : — 


CHAPTER  VI,   VE RISES  5,   6. 


535 


"  Those  vain  fictions  which  an  attachment  to  the 
Platonic  philosophy,  and  to  popular  opinions,  had  en- 
gaged the  greatest  part  of  the  Christian  doctors  to 
adopt,  before  the  time  of  Constantine,  were  now 
confirmed,  enlarged,  and  embellished  in  various  ways. 
Hence  arose  that  extravagant  veneration  for  de- 
parted saints,  and  those  absurd  notions  of  a  certain 
fire  destined  to  purify  separate  souls,  that  now  pre- 
vailed, and  of  which  the  public  marks  were  every- 
where to  be  seen.  Hence  also  the  celibacy  of  priests, 
the  worship  of  images  and  relics,  which,  in  process  of 
time,  almost  utterly  destroyed  the  Christian  religion, 
or  at  least  eclipsed  its  luster,  and  corrupted  its  very 
essence  in  the  most  deplorable  manner.  An  enor- 
mous train  of  superstitions  was  gradually  substituted 
for  true  religion  and  genuine  piety.  This  odious 
revolution  proceeded  from  a  variety  of  causes.  A 
ridiculous  precipitation  in  receiving  new  opinions,  a 
preposterous  desire  of  imitating  the  pagan  rites,  and 
of  blending  them  with  the  Christian  worship,  and 
that  idle  propensity  which  the  generality  of  mankind 
have  toward  a  gaudy  and  ostentatious  religion,  all 
contributed  to  establish  the  reign  of  superstition  upon 
the  ruins  of  Christianity.  Accordingly,  frequent 
pilgrimages  were  undertaken  to  Palestine,  and  to  the 
tombs  of  the  martyrs,  as  if  there  alone  the  sacred 
principles  of  virtue,  and  the  certain  hope  of  salva- 
tion, were  to  be  acquired.  The  reins  being  once  let 
loose  to  superstition  which  knows  no  bounds,  absurd 
notions  and  idle  ceremonies  multiplied  almost  every 
day.  Quantities  of  dust  and  earth  brought  from 


536  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

Palestine,  and  other  places  remarkable  for  their  sup- 
posed sanctity,  were  handed  about  as  the  most  power- 
ful remedies  against  the  violence  of  wicked  spirits, 
and  were  sold  and  bought  everywhere  at  enormous 
prices.  The  public  processions  and  supplications  by 
which  the  pagans  endeavored  to  appease  their  gods, 
were  now  adopted  into  the  Christian  worship,  and 
celebrated  in  many  places  with  great  pomp  and  mag- 
nificence. The  virtues  which  had  formerly  been  as- 
cribed to  the  heathen  temples,  to  their  lustrations,  to 
the  statues  of  their  gods  and  heroes,  were  now  at- 
tributed to  Christian  churches,  to  water  consecrated 
by  certain  forms  of  prayer,  and  to  the  images  of  holy 
men.  And  the  same  privileges  that  the  former  en- 
joyed under  the  darkness  of  paganism,  were  con- 
ferred upon  the  latter  under  the  light  of  the  gospel, 
or,  rather,  under  that  cloud  of  superstition  which 
was  obscuring  its  glory.  It  is  true  that,  as  yet,  im- 
ages were  not  very  common  ;  nor  were  there  any 
statues  at  all.  But  it  is  at  the  same  time  as  un- 
doubtedly certain  as  it  is  extravagant  and  mon- 
strous, that  the  worship  of  the  martyrs  was  modeled, 
by  degrees,  according  to  the  religious  services  that 
were  paid  to  the  gods  before  the  coming  of  Christ. 

"  From  these  facts,  which  are  but  small  specimens 
of  the  state  of  Christianity  at  this  time,  the  discern- 
ing reader  will  easily  perceive  what  detriment  the 
church  received  from  the  peace  and  prosperity  pro- 
cured by  Constantine,  and  from  the  imprudent  meth- 
ods employed  to  allure  the  different  nations  to  em- 
brace the  gospel.  The  brevity  we  have  proposed  to 


CHAPTER  VI,   VEMSES  J,  6.  537 

observe  in  this  history  prevents  our  entering  into  an 
ample  detail  of  the  dismal  effects  that  arose  from  the 
progress  and  the  baneful  influence  of  superstition, 
which  had  now  become  universal." 

Again  he  says,  "  A  whole  volume  would  be  requi- 
site to  contain  an  enumeration  of  the  various  frauds 
which  artful  knaves  practiced,  with  success,  to  delude 
the  ignorant,  when  true  religion  was  almost  entirely 
superseded  by  horrid  superstition." — Eccl.  Hist.  4th 
Cent.,  part  ii.,  chap.  3. 

This  extract  from  Mosheim  contains  a  description 
of  the  period  covered  by  the  black  horse  of  the  third 
seal  that  answers  accurately  to  the  prophecy.  It  is 
seen  by  this  how  paganism  was  incorporated  into 
Christianity,  and  how,  during  this  period,  the  false 
system  which  resulted  in  the  establishment  of  the 
papacy,  rapidly  rounded  out  to  its  full  outlines,  and 
ripened  into  all  its  deplorable  perfection  of  strength 
and  stature. 

The  Balances.  "  The  balances  denoted  that  relig- 
ion and  civil  power  would  be  united  in  the  person 
who  would  administer  the  executive  power  in  the 
government,  and  that  he  would  claim  the  judicial 
authority  both  in  church  and  State.  This  was  true 
among  the  Roman  emperors  from  the  days  of  Con- 
stantine  until  the  reign  of  Justinian,  when  he  gave 
the  same  judicial  power  to  the  bishop  of  Rome." — 
Millers  Lectures,  p.  181. 

The  Wheat  and  Barley.  "  The  measures  of  wheat 
and  barley  for  a  penny  denote  that  the  members  of 
the  church  would  be  eagerly  engaged  after  worldly 


53S  THOUGHTS  OX  TliE  REVELATION. 

goods,  and  the  love  of  money  would  be  the  prevail- 
ing spirit  of  the  times ;  for  they  would  dispose  of 
anything  for  money." — Id. 

The  Oil  and  Wine.  These  "  denote  the  graces  of 
the  Spirit,  faith  and  love,  and  there  was  great  dan- 
ger of  hurting  these,  under  the  influence  of  so  much 
worldly  spirit.  And  it  is  well  attested  by  all  his- 
torians that  the  prosperity  of  the  church  in  this  age 
produced  the  corruptions  which  finally  terminated  in 
the  falling  away,  and  setting  up  the  Antichristian- 
abominations." — Id. 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  voice  limiting  the 
amount  of  wheat  for  a  penny,  and  saying,  "  Hurt 
not  the  oil  and  the  wine,"  is  not  spoken  by  any  one 
on  earth,  but  comes  from  the  midst  of  the  four  liv- 
ing creatures ;  signifying  that,  though  the  under  shep- 
herds, the  professed  ministers  of  Christ  on  earth,  had 
no  £are  for  the  flock,  yet  the  Lord  was  not  unmind- 
ful of  them  in  this  period  of  darkness.  A  voice 
comes  from  Heaven.  He  takes  care  that  the  spirit 
of  worldliness  does  not  prevail  to  such  a  degree  that 
Christianity  should  be  entirely  lost,  or  that  the  oil 
and  the  wine,  the  graces  of  genuine  piety,  should  en- 
tirely perish  from  the  earth. 

VERSE  7.  And  when  he  had  opened  the  fourth  seal,  I 
heard  the  voice  of  the  fourth  beast  say,  Come  and  see.  8. 
And  I  looked,  and  behold  a  pale  horse  ;  and  his  name  that 
sat  on  him  was  death,  and  hell  followed  with  him.  And 
power  was  given  unto  them  over  the  fourth  part  of  the  earth, 
to  kill  with  sword,  and  with  hunger,  and  with  death,  and 
with  the  beasts  of  the  earth. 


CHAPTER  VI,   VEESEti  7,  8.  539 

The  color  of  this  horse  is  remarkable.  The  colors 
of  the  white,  red,  and  black  horses,  mentioned  in  the 
preceding  verses,  are  natural  ;  but  a  pale  color  is  un- 
natural. The  original  word  denotes  the  "pale  or 
yellowish  color "  that  is  seen  in  blighted  or  sickly 
plants.  A  strange  state  of  things  in  the  professed 
church  must  be  denoted  by  this  symbol.  The  rider 
on  this  horse  is  named  Death ;  and  Hell  (dc%,  the 
grave)  follows  with  him.  The  mortality  is  so  great 
during  this  period  that  it  would  seem  as  if  "  the  pale 
nations  of  the  dead  "  had  come  upon  earth,  and  were 
following  in  the  wake  of  this  desolating  power. 
The  period  during  which  this  seal  applies  can  hardly 
be  mistaken.  It  must  refer  to  the  time  in  which  the 
papacy  bore  its  unrebuked,  unrestrained,  and  perse- 
cuting rule,  commencing  about  A.  D.  538,  and  extend- 
ing to  the  time  when  the  reformers  commenced  their 
work  of  exposing  the  corruptions  of  the  papal  sys- 
tem. 

"  And  power  was  given  unto  them  " — him,  says 
the  margin ;  that  is,  the  power  personified  by  Death 
on  the  pale  horse;  namely,  the  papacy.  By  the 
fourth  part  of  the  earth  is  doubtless  meant  the  ter- 
ritory over  which  this  power  had  jurisdiction ;  while 
the  terms,  sword,  hunger,  death  (that  is,  some  inflic- 
tion which  causes  death,  as  exposure,  torture,  etc.), 
and  beasts  of  the  earth,  are  figures  denoting  the 
means  by  which  it  has  put  to  death  its  martyrs,  fifty 
millions  of  whom,  according  to  the  lowest  estimate, 
call  for  vengeance  from  beneath  its  bloody  altar. 


540  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

VERSE  9.  And  when  he  had  opened  the  fifth  seal,  I  saw 
under  the  altar  the  souls  of  them  that  were  slain  for  the 
word  of  God,  and  for  the  testimony  which  they  held  ;  10  ; 
And  they  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying,  How  long,  O  Lord, 
holy  and  true,  dost  thou  not  judge  and  avenge  our  blood  on 
them  that  dwell  on  the  earth  ?  11.  And  white  robes  were 
given  unto  every  one  of  them  ;  and  it  was  said  unto  them, 
that  they  should  rest  yet  for  a  little  season,  until  their  fel- 
low-servants also  and  their  brethren,  that  should  be  killed  as 
they  were,  should  be  fulfilled. 

The  events  set  forth  as  transpiring  under  the 
fifth  seal,  are,  the  crying  of  the  martyrs  for  ven- 
geance, and  the  giving  to  them  of  white  robes.  The 
questions  that  at  once  suggest  themselves  for  solu- 
tion are,  Does  this  seal  cover  a  period  of  time  ?  arid 
if  so,  what  period  ?  Where  is  the  altar  under  which 
those  souls  were  seen  ?  What  are  these  souls  ?  and 
what  is  their  condition  ?  What  is  meant  by  their 
cry  for  vengeance  ?  What  is  meant  by  white  robes 
being  given  to  them  ?  When  do  they  rest  for  a 
little  season  ?  and,  What  is  signified  by  their  breth- 
ren being  killed  as  they  were  ?  To  all  these  ques- 
tions, we  believe  a  satisfactory  answer  can  be  re- 
turned. 

1.  The  Fifth  Seal  Covers  a  Period  of  Time.  It 
seems  consistent  that  this  seal,  like  all  the  others, 
should  cover  a  period  of  time ;  and  the  date  of  its 
application  cannot  be  mistaken,  if  the  preceding 
seals  have  been  rightly  located.  Following  the 
period  of  the  papal  persecution,  the  time  covered 
by  this  seal  would  commence  when  the  Reformation 
began  to  undermine  the  Antichristian  papal  fabric, 


CHAP  TEH   VI,    VERSES  9-11.  541 

and  restrain  the  persecuting  power  of  the  Romish 
church. 

2.  The  Altar.     This  cannot  denote  any  altar  in 
Heaven;  as  it  is  evidently  the  place  where  these 
victims  had  been  slain,  the  altar  of  sacrifice.     On 
this  point,  Dr.  A.  Clarke  says :  "A  symbolical  vision 
was  exhibited  in  which   he   saw  an   altar.     And 
under  it  the  souls  of  those  who  had  been  slain  for 
the  word  of  God — martyred  for  their  attachment  to 
Christianity,  are  represented  as  being  newly  slain 
as  victims  to  idolatry  and  superstition.     The  altar 
is  upon  earth,  not  in  Heaven."     A  confirmation  of 
this  view  is  found  in  the  fact  that  John  is  behold- 
ing scenes  upon  the  earth.    The  souls  are  represented 
under  the  altar,  just  as  victims  slain  upon  it  would 
pour  out  their  blood  beneath  it,  and  fall  by  its  side. 

3.  The  Souls  under  the  Altar.     This  representa- 
tion is  popularly  regarded  as  a  strong  proof  of  the 
doctrine  of  the  disembodied  and  conscious  state  of 
the  dead.     Here,  it  is  claimed,  are  souls  seen  by 
John  in  a  disembodied  state ;   and  they  were  con- 
scious, and   had   knowledge  of   passing   events ;   for 
they  cried  for  vengeance  on  their  persecutors.     This 
view  of  the  passage  is  inadmissible,  for  several  reasons  : 
1.  The  popular  view  places  these  souls  in  Heaven  ; 
but  the  altar  of  sacrifice  on  which  they  were  slain, 
and  beneath  which  they  were  seen,  cannot  be  there. 
The  only  altar  we  read  of  in  Heaven  is  the  altar  of 
incense ;  but  it  would  not  be  correct  to  represent  vic- 
tims just  slain  as  under  the  altar  of  incense,  as  that 
altar  was  never  devoted  to  such  a  use.     2.  It  would 


542  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION, 

be  repugnant  to  all  our  ideas  of  the  heavenly  state, 
to  represent  souls  in  Heaven  shut  up  under  an  altar. 
3.  Can  we  suppose  that  the  idea  of  vengeance 
would  reign  so  supreme  in  the  minds  of  souls  in 
Heaven  as  to  render  them,  despite  the  joy  and  glory 
of  that  ineffable  state,  dissatisfied  and  uneasy  till 
vengeance  was  inflicted  upon  their  enemies  ?  Would 
they  not  rather  rejoice  that  persecution  raised  its 
hand  against  them,  and  thus  hastened  them  into  the 
presence  of  their  Redeemer,  at  whose  right  hand 
there  is  fullness  of  joy,  and  pleasures  forevermore? 
But,  further,  the  popular  view  which  puts  these  souls 
in  Heaven,  puts  the  wicked  at  the  same  time  in  the 
lake  of  fire,  writhing  in  unutterable  torment,  and  in 
full  view  of  the  heavenly  host.  This,  it  is  claim  ed? 
is  proved  by  the  parable  of  the  rich  man  and  Laza- 
rus. Now  these  souls,  brought  to  view  under  the 
fifth  seal,  were  those  who  had  been  slain  under  the 
preceding  seal,  scores  of  years,  and  most  of  them  cent- 
uries, before.  Beyond  any  question,  their  persecu- 
tors had  all  passed  off'  the  stage  of  action,  and  accord- 
ing to  the  view  under  consideration,  were  suffering 
all  the  torments  of  hell  right  before  their  eyes.  Yet, 
as  if  not  satisfied  with  this,  they  cry  to  God,  as  though 
he  was  delaying  vengeance  on  their  murderers. 
What  greater  vengeance  could  they  want  ?  Or,  if 
their  persecutors  were  still  on  the  earth,  they  must 
know  that  they  would,  in  a  few  years  at  most,  join 
the  vast  multitude  daily  pouring  through  the  gate  of 
death  into  the  world  of  woe.  Their  amiability  is  put 
in  no  better  light  even  by  this  supposition.  One 


CHAPTER  VI,   VERSES  9-11.  543 

thing,  at  least,  is  evident :  The  popular  theory  con- 
cerning the  condition  of  the  dead,  righteous  and 
wicked,  cannot  be  correct,  or  the  interpretation  usu- 
ally given  to  this  passage  is  not  correct ;  for  they  de- 
vour each  other. 

But  it  is  urged  that  these  souls  must  be  conscious  ; 
for  they  cry  to  God.  This  argument  would  be  of 
weight  were  there  no  such  figure  of  speech  as  per- 
sonification. But  while  there  is,  it  will  be  proper, 
on  certain  conditions,  to  attribute  life,  action,  and 
intelligence,  to  inanimate  objects.  Thus  the  blood 
of  Abel  is  said  to  have  cried  to  God  from  the  ground. 
Gen.  4  :  9,  10.  The  stone  cried  out  of  the  wall,  and 
the  beam  out  of  the  timber  answered  it.  Hab.  2  : 
11.  The  hire  of  the  laborers  kept  back  by  fraud* 
cried,  and  the  cry  entered  into  the  ears  of  the  Lord 
of  Sabaoth.  Jas.  5:4.  So  the  souls  mentioned  in 
our  text  could  cry,  and  not  thereby  be  proved  to  be 
conscious. 

The  incongruity  of  the  popular  view  on  this  verse 
is  so  apparent  that  Albert  Barnes  makes  the  follow- 
ing concession :  "  We  are  not  to  suppose  that  this 
literally  occurred,  and  that  John  actually  saw  the 
souls  of  the  martyrs  beneath  the  altars — for  the 
whole  representation  is  symbolical ;  nor  are  we  to 
suppose  that  the  injured  and  the  wronged  in  Heav- 
en actually  pray  for  vengeance  on  those  who 
wronged  them,  or  that  the  redeemed  in  Heaven  will 
continue  to  pray  with  reference  to  tilings  on  earth; 
but  it  may  be  fairly  inferred  from  this  that  there 
will  be  as  real  a  remembrance  of  the  wrongs  of  the 


544  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

persecuted,  the  injured,  and  the  oppressed,  as  if  such 
a  prayer  was  offered  there  ;  and  that  the  oppressor 
has  as  much  to  dread  from  the  divine  vengeance  as 
if  those  whom  he  has  injured  should  cry  in  Heaven 
to  the  God  who  hears  prayer,  and  who  takes  ven- 
geance."— Notes  on  Rev.  6. 

On  such  passages  as  this,  the  reader  is  misled  by 
the  popular  definition  of  the  word  soul.  From  that 
definition,  he  is  led  to  suppose  that  this  text  speaks 
of  an  immaterial,  invisible,  immortal  essence  in  man, 
which  soars  into  its  coveted  freedom  on  the  death 
of  its  hindrance  and  clog,  the  mortal  body.  No  in- 
stance of  the  occurrence  of  the  word  in  the  orig- 
inal Hebrew  or  Greek  will  sustain  such  a  definition. 
It  oftenest  means  life ;  and  is  not  unfrequently  ren- 
dered person.  It  applies  to  the  dead  as  well  as  to 
the  living,  as  may  be  seen  by  reference  to  Gen.  2  : 
7,  where  the  word  "  living  "  need  not  have  been  ex- 
pressed were  life  an  inseparable  attribute  of  the 
soul ;  and  to  Num.  19  :  13,  where  the  Hebrew  Con- 
cordance reads,  "  Dead  soul."  Moreover  these  souls 
pray  that  their  blood  may  be  avenged,  an  article 
which  the  immaterial  soul,  as  popularly  understood, 
is  not  supposed  to  possess.  We  regard  the  word 
souls  as  here  meaning  simply  the  martyrs,  those 
who  had  been  slain,  the  words  "  souls  of  them  "  be- 
ing a  periphrasis  for  the  whole  person.  They  were 
represented  to  John  as  having  been  slain  upon  the 
altar  of  papal  sacrifice,  on  this  earth,  and  lying 
dead  beneath  it.  They  certainly  were  not  alive 
when  John  saw  them  under  the  fifth  seal ;  for  he 


CHAPTER  VI,   VERSES  9-11.  545 

again  brings  to  view  the  same  company,  in  almost 
the  same  language,  and  assures  us  that  the  first 
time  they  live  after  their  martyrdom  is  at  the  res- 
urrection of  the  just.  Rev.  20:  4-6.  Lying  there, 
victims  of  papal  blood-thirstiness  and  oppression, 
they  cried  to  God  for  vengeance,  in  the  same  man- 
ner that  Abel's  blood  cried  to  him  from  the  ground. 

The  White  Robes.  These  were  given  as  a  par- 
tial answer  to  their  cry,  "  How  long,  0  Lord,  dost 
thou  not  judge  and  avenge  our  blood  ? "  How  was 
it  ?  They  had  gone  down  to  the  grave  in  the  most 
ignominious  manner.  Their  lives  had  been  mis- 
represented, their  reputations  tarnished,  their  names 
defamed,  their  motives  maligned,  and  their  graves 
covered  with  shame  and  reproach,  as  containing 
the  dishonored  dust  of  the  most  vile  and  despicable 
characters.  Thus  the  church  of  Rome,  which  then 
molded  the  sentiment  of  the  principal  nations  of 
the  earth,  spared  no  pains  to  make  her  victims  an 
abhorring  unto  all  flesh. 

But  the  Reformation  begins  to  work.  It  begins 
to  be  seen  that  the  church  is  the  corrupt  and  disrep- 
utable party,  and  those  against  whom  it  vents  its 
rage  are  the  good,  the  pure,  and  the  true.  The 
work  goes  on  among  the  most  enlightened  nations, 
the  reputation  of  the  church  going  down,  and  that 
of  the  martyrs  coming  up,  until  the  corruptions  of 
the  papal  abominations  are  fully  exposed,  and  that 
huge  system  of  iniquity  stands  forth  before  the 
world  in  all  its  naked  deformity ;  while  the  mar- 
tyrs are  vindicated  from  all  the  aspersions  under 
35 


546  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

which  that  Antichristian  church  had  sought  to  bury 
them.  Then  it  was  seen  that  they  had  suffered, 
not  for  being  vile  and  criminal,  but  "  for  the  word 
of  God,  and  for  the  testimony  which  they  held." 
Then  their  praises  were  sung,  their  virtues  admired, 
their  fortitude  applauded,  their  names  honored,  and 
their  memories  cherished.  White  robes  were  thus 
given  unto  every  one  of  them. 

The  Little  Season.  The  cruel  work  of  Romanism 
did  not  instantly  cease  as  the  light  of  the  Reforma- 
tion began  to  dawn.  Not  a  few  terrible  outbursts  of 
Romish  hate  and  persecution  were  yet  to  be  felt 
by  the  church.  Multitudes  more  were  to  be  pun- 
ished as  heretics  and  join  the  great  army  of  mar- 
tyrs. The  full  vindication  of  their  cause  was  to  be 
delayed  a  little  season.  And  during  this  time, 
Rome  added  hundreds  of  thousands  to  the  vast 
throng  of  whose  blood  she  had  already  become 
guilty.  See  Buck's  Theological  Dictionary,  Art. 
Persecution.  But  the  spirit  of  persecution  was 
finally  restrained;  the  cause  of  the  martyrs  was 
vindicated;  and  the  little  season  of  the  fifth  seal 
came  to  a  close. 

VERSE  12.  And  I  beheld  when  he  had  opened  the  sixth 
seal,  and,  lo,  there  was  a  great  earthquake  ;  and  the  sun  be- 
came black  as  sackcloth  of  hair,  and  the  moon  became  as 
blood  ;  13  ;  And  the  stars  of  heaven  fell  unto  the  earth,  even 
as  a  fig-tree  casteth  her  untimely  figs,  when  she  is  shaken  of 
a  mighty  wind.  14.  And  the  heaven  departed  as  a  scroll 
when  it  is  rolled  together  ;  and  every  mountain  and  island 
were  moved  out  of  their  places.  15.  And  the  kings  of  the 
earth,  and  the  great  men,  and  the  rich  men,  and  the  chief 


CHAPTER  VI,    VERSES  12-17.  547 

captains,  and  the  mighty  men,  and  every  bond  man,  and 
every  free  man,  hid  themselves  in  the  dens  and  in  the  rocks 
of  the  mountains  ;  16  ;  And  said  to  the  mountains  and  rocks, 
Fall  on  us,  and  hide  us  from  the  face  of  Him  that  sitteth  on 
"the  throne,  and  from  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb  ;  17  ;  For  the 
great  day  of  his  wrath  is  come ;  and  who  shalt  be  able  to 
stand  '\ 

Such  are  the  solemn  and  sublime  scenes  that 
transpire  under  the  sixth  seal.  And  a  thought 
well  calculated  to  awaken  in  every  heart  an  intense 
interest  in  divine  things,  is  the  consideration  that 
we  are  now  living  amid  the  momentous  events  of 
this  seal. 

Between  the  fifth  and  sixth  seals  there  seems  to 
be  a  sudden  and  entire  change  in  the  language, 
from  the  highly  figurative  to  the  strictly  literal. 
Whatever  may  be  the  cause  of  this  change,  the 
change  itself  cannot  well  be  denied.  By  no  prin- 
ciple of  interpretation  can  the  language  of  the  pre- 
ceding seals  be  made  to  be  literal;  nor  can  the 
language  of  this  any  more  easily  be  made  to  be 
figurative.  We  must  therefore  accept  the  change, 
even  though  we  should  be  unable  to  explain  it. 
There  is  a  great  fact,  however,  to  which  we  would 
here  call  attention.  It  was  to  be  in  the  period  cov- 
ered by  this  seal  that  the  prophetic  portions  of 
God's  word  were  to  be  unsealed,  and  many  run  to 
and  fro,  or  "give  their  sedulous  attention  to  the 
understanding  of  these  things,"  and  thereby  knowl- 
edge on  this  part  of  God's  word  to  be  greatly  in- 
creased. And  we  suggest  that  it  may  be  for  this 


548  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

reason  that  the  change  in  the  language  here  occurs, 
and  that  the  events  of  this  seal,  transpiring  at  a 
time  when  these  things  were  to  be  fully  understood, 
are  couched  in  no  figures,  but  laid  before  us  in 
plain  and  unmistakable  language. 

The  Great  Earthquake.  The  first  event  under 
this  seal,  perhaps  the  one  which  marks  its  opening, 
is  a  great  earthquake.  As  the  more  probable  ful- 
fillment of  this  prediction,  we  refer  to  the  great 
earthquake  of  Nov.  1,  1755.  Of  this  earthquake, 
Sears,  in  his  "  Wonders  of  the  World,"  pp.  50,  58, 
381,  says  :— 

"The  great  earthquake  of  Nov.  1,  1755, extended 
over  a  tract  of  at  least  4,000,000  of  square  miles. 
Its  effects  were  even  extended  to  the  waters  in 
many  places  where  the  shocks  were  not  perceptible. 
It  pervaded  the  greater  portion  of  Europe,  Africa, 
and  America ;  but  its  extreme  violence  was  exer- 
cised on  the  south- western  part  of  the  former.  In 
Africa,  this  earthquake  was  felt  almost  as  severely 
as  it  had  been  in  Europe.  A  great  part  of  Algiers 
was  destroyed.  Many  houses  were  thrown  down 
at  Fay  and  Mequinez,  and  multitudes  were  buried 
beneath  the  ruins.  Similar  effects  were  realized  at 
Morocco.  Its  effects  were  likewise  felt  at  Tangiers, 
at  Tetuan,  at  Funchal  in  the  island  of  Madeira.  It 
is  probable  that  all  Africa  was  shaken.  At  the 
north,  it  extended  to  Norway  and  Sweden.  Ger- 
many, Holland,  France,  Great  Britain,  and  Ireland, 
were  all  more  or  less  agitated  by  the  same  great 
commotion  of  the  elements.  Lisbon  (Portugal), 


CHAPTER  VI,   VERSES  12-17.  549 

previous  to  the  earthquake  in  1755,  contained 
150,000  inhabitants.  Mr.  Barretti  says  that  90,000 
persons  are  supposed  to  have  been  lost  on  that  fatal 
day." 

On  page  200  of  the  same  work,  we  again  read : 
"  The  terror  of  the  people  was  beyond  description. 
Nobody  wept — it  was  beyond  tears — they  ran 
hither  and  thither,  delirious  with  horror  and  as- 
tonishment, beating  their  faces  and  breasts,  crying, 
'  Misericordia — the  world's  at  an  end ! '  Mothers 
forgot  their  children,  and  ran  about  loaded  with 
crucifixed  images.  Unfortunately  many  ran  to  the 
churches  for  protection ;  but  in  vain  was  the  sac- 
rament exposed;  in  vain  did  the  poor  creatures 
embrace  the  altars;  images,  priests,  and  people, 
were  buried  in  one  common  ruin." 

The  Encyclopedia  Americana  states  that  this 
earthquake  extended  also  to  Greenland,  and  of  its 
effects  upon  the  city  of  Lisbon,  further  says :  "  The 
city  then  contained  about  150,000  inhabitants. 
The  shock  was  instantly  followed  by  the  fall  of 
every  church  and  convent,  almost  all  the  large  and 
public  buildings,  and  more  than  one-fourth  of  the 
houses.  In  about  two  hours  after  the  shock,  fires 
broke  out  in  different  quarters,  and  raged  with 
such  violence  for  the  space  of  nearly  three  days, 
that  the  city  was  completely  desolated.  The  earth- 
quake happened  on  a  holy  day,  when  the  churches 
and  convents  were  full  of  people,  very  few  of  whom 
escaped." 

If  the  reader  will  look  on  his  atlas  at  the  coun- 


550  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

tries  above  mentioned,  he  will  see  how  large  a  por- 
tion of  the  earth's  surface  was  agitated  by  this 
awful  convulsion.  Other  earthquakes  may  have 
been  as  severe  in  particular  localities ;  but  no  other 
one  combining  so  great  an  extent  with  such  a  de- 
gree of  severity,  has  ever  been  felt  on  this  earth,  of 
which  we  have  any  record. 

The  Darkening  of  the  Sun.  Following  the 
earthquake,  it  is  announced  that  "  the  sun  became 
black  as  sackcloth  of  hair."  This  portion  of  the 
prediction  has  also  been  fulfilled.  Into  a  detailed 
account  of  the  wonderful  darkening  of  the  sun, 
May  19,  1780,  we  need  not  here  enter.  Most  per- 
sons of  general  reading,  it  is  presumed,  have  seen 
some  account  of  it ;  besides,  many  are  living  who 
have  no  need  of  the  written  description,  having 
been  eye-witnesses  of  the  extraordinary  scene. 
The  following  detached  declarations  from  different 
testimonies  will  give  an  idea  of  its  nature. 

"  In  the  month  of  May,  1780,  there  was  a  terrific 
dark  day  in  New  England,  when  '  all  faces  seemed 
to  gather  blackness/  and  the  people  were  filled  with 
fear.  There  was  great  distress  in  the  village  where 
Edward  Lee  lived ;  '  men's  hearts  failing  them  for 
fear '  that  the  Judgment  day  was  at  hand ;  and  the 
neighbors  all  flocked  around  the  holy  man,"  who 
"  spent  the  gloomy  hours  in  earnest  prayer  for  the 
distressed  multitude." — Tract  No.  379,  Am.  Tract 
Society — Life  of  Edward  Lee. 

"  Candles  were  lighted  in  many  houses.  Birds 
were  silent  and  disappeared.  Fowls  retired  to 


CHAPTER  VI,   VERSES  12-17. 


roost.  It  was  the  general  opinion  that  the  day  of 
Judgment  was  at  hand."  —  Pres.  Dwight  in  Ct.  His- 
torical Collections. 

"  The  darkness  was  such  as  to  occasion  farmefs 
to  leave  their  work  in  the  field,  and  retire  to  their 
dwellings.  Lights  became  necessary  to  the  trans- 
action of  business  within  doors.  The  darkness 
continued  through  the  day."  —  Gages  History  of 
Rowley,  Mass. 

"  The  cocks  crew  as  at  daybreak,  and  everything 
bore  the  appearance  and  gloom  of  night.  The 
alarm  produced  by  this  unmsual  aspect  of  the 
heavens  was  very  great."  —  Portsmouth  Journal, 
May  20,  1843. 

"  It  was  midnight  darkness  at  noon-day  ...... 

Thousands  of  people  who  could  not  account  for  it 
from  natural  causes,  were  greatly  terrified  ;  and, 
indeed,  it  cast  a  universal  gloom  on  the  earth.  The 
frogs  and  night-hawks  began  their  notes."  —  Dr. 
Adams. 

"  Similar  days  have  occasionally  been  known, 
though  inferior  in  the  degree  or  extent  of  their 
darkness.  The  causes  of  these  phenomena  are  un- 
known. They  certainly  were  not  the  result  of 
eclipses."  —  Sears'  Guide  to  Knowledge. 

The  Moon  Became  as  Blood.  The  darkness  of 
the  following  night,  May  19,  1780,  was  as  unnatu- 
ral as  that  of  the  day  had  been. 

"The  darkness  of  the  following  evening  was 
probably  as  gross  as  has  ever  been  observed  since 
the  Almighty  first  gave  birth  to  light.  I  could  not 


552  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  UE DELATION. 

help  conceiving  at  the  time,  that  if  every  luminous 
body  in  the  universe  had  been  shrouded  in  impen- 
etrable darkness,  or  struck  out  of  existence,  the 
darkness  could  not  have  been  more  complete.  A 
sheet  of  white  paper  held  within  a  few  inches  of 
the  eyes,  was  equally  invisible  with  the  blackest 
velvet." — Mr.  Tenny  of  Exeter,  N.  H.,  quoted  by 
Mr.  Gage  to  the  "  Historical  Society.1' 

And  whenever  on  this  memorable  night  the 
moon  did  appear,  as  at  certain  times  it  did,  it  had, 
according  to  this  prophecy,  the  appearance  of  blood. 

And  the  Stars  o/»  Heaven  Fell.  The  voice  of 
history  still  is,  Fulfilled!  Being  a  much  later 
event  than  the  darkening  of  the  sun,  there  are 
multitudes  in  whose  memories  it  is  as  fresh  as 
though  it  were  but  yesterday.  We  refer  to  the 
great  meteoric  shower  of  Nov.  13,  1833.  On  this 
point  one  extract  will  suffice. 

"  At  the  cry,  '  Look  out  of  the  window,'  I  sprang 
from  a  deep  sleep,  and  with  wonder  saw  the  east 

lighted  up  with  the  dawn  and  meteors I 

called  to  my  wife  to  behold;  and,  while  robing,  she 
exclaimed,  '  See  how  the  stars  fall ! '  I  replied, 
'  That  is  the  wonder ; '  and  we  felt  in  our  hearts 
that  it  was  a  sign  of  the  last  days.  For  truly  '  the 
stars  of  heaven  fell  unto  the  earth,  even  as  a  fig- 
tree  casteth  her  untimely  figs,  when  she  is  shaken 
of  a  mighty  wind.'  Rev.  6  : 13.  This  language  of 
the  prophet  has  always  been  received  as  metaphor- 
ical. Yesterday,  it  was  literally  fulfilled.  The 
ancients  understood  by  aster  in  Greek  and  stella  in 


PLATE  VIII.— FALLING  OF  THE  STARS. 


CHAPTER   VI,   VERSES  12-17.  553 

Latin,  the  smaller  lights  of  heaven.  The  refine- 
ment of  modern  astronomy  has  made  distinction 
between  stars  of  heaven  and  meteors  of  heaven. 
Therefore,  the  idea  of  the  prophet,  as  it  is  expressed 
in  the  original  Greek,  was  literally  fulfilled  in  the 
phenomenon  of  yesterday,  so  as  no  man  before  yes- 
terday had  conceived  to  be  possible  that  it  should 
be  fulfilled.  The  immense  size  and  distance  of  the 
planets  and  fixed  stars  forbid  the  idea  of  their  fall- 
ing unto  the  earth.  Larger  bodies  cannot  fall  in 
myriads  unto  a  smaller  body;  but  most  of  the 
planets  and  all  the  fixed  stars  are  many  times 
larger  than  our  earth ;  but  these  fell  toward  the 
earth.  And  how  did  they  fall  ?  Neither  myself 
nor  one  of  the  family  heard  any  report ;  and  were 
I  to  hunt  through  nature  for  a  simile,  I  could  not 
find  one  so  apt,  to  illustrate  the  appearance  of  the 
heavens,  as  that  which  St.  John  uses  in  the  proph- 
ecy before  quoted :  '  The  stars  of  heaven  fell  unto 
the  earth/  They  were  not  sheets,  or  flakes,  or 
drops,  of  fire ;  but  they  were  what  the  world  un- 
derstands by  falling  stars  ;  and  one  speaking  to  his 
fellow,  in  the  midst  of  the  scene,  would  say,  '  See 
how  the  stars  fall ! '  And  he  who  heard  would  not 
stop  to  correct  the  astronomy  of  the  speaker,  any 
more  than  he  would  reply,  'The  sun  does  not 
move,'  to  one  who  should  tell  him,  '  The  sun  is  ris- 
ing.' The  stars  fell  '  even  as  a  fig-tree  casteth  her 
untimely  figs,  when  she  is  shaken  of  a  mighty 
wind.'  Here  is  the  exactness  of  the  prophet.  The 
falling  stars  did  not  come  as  if  from  several  trees 


554  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

shaken,  but  from  one.  Those  which  appeared  in 
the  east,  fell  toward  the  east ;  those  which  ap- 
peared in  the  north,  fell  toward  the  north ;  those 
which  appeared  in  the  west,  fell  toward  the  west ; 
and  those  which  appeared  in  the  south  (for  I  went 
out  of  my  residence  into  the  Park),  fell  toward  the 
south.  And  they  fell  not  as  ripe  fruit  falls ;  far 
from  it ;  but  they  flew,  they  were  cast,  like  the  un- 
ripe, which  at  first  refuses  to  leave  the  branch,  and 
when,  under  a  violent  pressure,  it  does  break  its 
hold,  it  flies  swiftly,  straight  off,  descending ;  and 
in  the  multitude  falling,  some  cross  the  track  of 
others,  as  they  are  thrown  with  more  or  less  force, 
but  each  one  falls  on  its  own  side  of  the  tree." — 
Henry  Dana  Ward. 

These  signs  in  the  sun,  moon,  and  stars,  are  the 
same  as  those  so  strikingly  predicted  by  our  Lord 
and  recorded  by  the  evangelists,  Matt.  24,  Mark  13, 
and  Luke  21.  In  these  records  not  only  the  same 
signs  are  given,  but  the  same  time  is  pointed  out 
for  their  fulfillment ;  namely,  a  period  commencing 
just  this  side  of  the  long  and  bloody  persecution  of 
the  papal  power.  In  Matt.  24  :  21,  22,  the  1260 
years  of  papal  supremacy  are  brought  to  view  ; 
and  "  immediately  after  the  tribulation  of  those 
days,"  verse  29,  the  sun  was  to  be  darkened,  etc. 
Mark  is  still  more  definite  and  says,  "In  those 
days,  after  that  tribulation."  The  days,  commenc- 
ing in  A.  D.  538,  ended  in  1798  ;  but  before  they 
ended,  the  spirit  of  persecution  had  been  restrained 
by  the  Reformation,  and  that  tribulation  of  the 


CHAPTER  VI,   VERSES  12-17.  555 

church  had  ceased.  And  right  in  this  period,  ex- 
actly at  the  time  specified  in  the  prophecy,  the  ful- 
fillment of  these  signs  commenced  in  the  darkening 
of  the  sun  and  moon. 

The  first  instance  of  the  falling  of  the  stars, 
worthy  of  any  notice,  though  others  of  local  and 
minor  importance  may  be  mentioned  before  it,  took 
place  in  1799.  To  the  great  display  of  1833,  by 
far  the  most  brilliant  of  any  on  record,  we  have 
already  referred.  Of  the  extent  of  this  shower, 
Prof.  Olmstead,  of  Yale  College,  a  distinguished 
meteorologist,  says,  "  The  extent  of  the  shower  of 
1833,  was  such  as  to  cover  no  inconsiderable  part 
of  the  earth's  surface ;  from  the  middle  of  the  At- 
lantic on  the  east,  to  the  Pacific  on  the  west ;  and 
from  the  northern  coast  of  South  America,  to  un- 
defined regions  among  the  British  possessions  on 
the  north,  the  exhibition  was  visible,  and  every- 
where presented  nearly  the  same  appearance." 
From  this,  it  appears  that  this  exhibition  was  con- 
fined exclusively  to  the  western  world.  But  in  the 
year  1866,  another  remarkable  occurrence  of  this 
kind  took  place,  this  time  in  the  East,  nearly  as 
magnificent  in  some  places  as  that  of  1833,  and  vis- 
ible, so  far  as  ascertained,  throughout  the  greater 
part  of  Europe.  Thus  the  principal  portions  of  the 
earth  have  now  been  warned  by  this  sign. 

Observation  has  shown  that  these  meteoric  dis- 
plays occur  at  regular  intervals  of  about  thirty- 
three  years.  The  skeptic  will  doubtless  seize  upon 
this  as  a  pretext  for  throwing  them  out  of  the  cat- 


556  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

alogue  of  signs.  But  if  they  are  not  more  than 
ordinary  occurrences,  the  question  is  to  be  an- 
swered why  they  have  not  occurred  as  regularly 
and  prominently  centuries  in  the  past  as  in  the  last 
hundred  years.  This  is  a  question  science  cannot 
answer ;  nor  can  it  offer  anything  more  than  con- 
jecture as  to  their  cause. 

One  significant  fact  will  be  noticed  in  connection 
with  all  the  foregoing  signs :  They  were  each  in- 
stinctively associated  in  the  minds  of  the  people,  at 
the  time  of  their  occurrence,  with  the  great  day  of 
which  they  were  the  forerunners.  And  on  each 
occasion  the  cry  was  raised,  "The  Judgment  has 
come,"  "  The  world's  at  an  end." 

But  the  objector  answers,  These  phenomena  in 
the  sun,  moon  and  stars  cannot  be  signs  of  the  end ; 
because  there  have  been  many  instances  of  such  oc- 
currences ;  and  pointing  to  some  ten  other  periods 
of  remarkable  darkness,  besides  that  of  1780,  and 
to  several  occurrences  of  falling  stars,  or  meteoric 
showers,  he  asks  with  an  air  of  triumph  which  one 
we  will  take  for  the  sign.  That  this  is  not  a  fan- 
ciful representation  of  the  objection  the  following 
facts  will  demonstrate  : — 

In  1878  we  noticed  in  one  of  the  leading  dailies 
of  Chicago  a  question  from  a  correspondent  in  Ver- 
mont, and  the  reply  given  by  the  paper,  as  fol- 
lows : — 

"Will  you  give  the  causes  (and  proof)  of  the 
'dark  day'  in  1780,  the  19th  of  May,  I  believe. 
An  '  Advent  preacher '  has  been  preaching  in  this 


CHAP  TEE  TT,    VERSES  12-17.  557 

neighborhood,  and  alluded  to  it  as  a  sign  of  the  de- 
struction of  the  world." 

And  the  reply  is  given  thus  : — 

"  The  dark  day  of  1780  was  produced  by  entirely 
natural  causes,  and  was  about  as  much  a  sign  of  the 
destruction  of  the  world  as  of  the  advent  of  the  po- 
tato-beetle. The  darkness,  said  Dr.  Samuel  Tenney, 
of  Exeter,  N.  EL,  was  produced  by  common  clouds. 
Between  these  common  clouds  and  the  earth  inter- 
vened another  stratum  of  great  thickness.  As  the 
stratum  advanced,  the  darkness  commenced  and  in- 
creased with  its  progress.  The  uncommon  thickness 
of  this  stratum  was  occasioned  by  two  strong  cur- 
rents of  wind  from  the  southward  and  westward, 
condensing  the  vapors  and  drawing  them  in  a  north- 
west direction.  The  density  of  this  stratum  was 
owing  to  the  vapor  and  smoke  it  contained.  These 
so-called  dark  days  have  not  been  uncommon,  being 
known  in  366  B.  c.;  295  B.  c.;  252  A.  D.;  746,  775, 
1732,  1762,  1780,  1783,  1807,  1816.  The  one  was 
as  prophetic  as  any  other  and  no  more  so." 

It  would  have  been  a  little  more  to  the  satisfac- 
tion of  any  one  who  wishes  to  know  the  reasons  of 
his  faith,  if  the  writer  of  the  reply  had  stated  where 
he  found  his  evidence  for  all  his  assertions.  And 
we  would  like  a  little  light  on  such  points  as  this : 
From  what  came  that  "  stratum  of  great  thickness  "  ? 
Of  what  was  it  composed  ?  How  was  it  formed  ? 
This  fellow's  explanation  amounts  to  just  this  :  It 
was  dark  because  there  was  great  darkness.  He 
simply  states  the  fact  in  another  form,  and  calls 


558  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

that  an  explanation.  His  own  statement  needs 
explaining  as  really  as  the  one  to  which  he  refers. 
"  The  uncommon  thickness  of  the  stratum  was 
caused  by  two  strong  currents  of  wind,"  etc.  How 
did  those  winds  chance  to  come  just  then,  and  just 
when  there  were  vapors  to  condense  ?  And  what 
caused  the  vapors  ?  Then  how  could  currents  from 
the  west  and.  south  draw  the  vapors  in  a  north-west 
direction  ?  Common  philosophy  wrould  assign  them, 
under  such  circumstances,  a  north-east  direction. 
Our  friend  must  be  careful  or  he  will  make  the 
dark  day  to  be  a  greater  phenomenon  than  we  have 
ever  claimed. 

But,  further,  we  would  ask  how,  according  to  the 
reply  above  given,  the  words  of  our  Lord  can  ever  be 
fulfilled.  He  says  that  the  sun  shall  be  darkened ; 
and  he  means  the  literal  sun;  for  he  speaks  of  men 
and  things  on  the  earth  in  contrast  with  it ;  Luke 
21 : 25  ;  and  he  says  that  when  it  is  thus  darkened 
it  is  a  sign  of  the  end ;  for  when  we  see  these  things 
come  to  pass,  he  tells  us  that  we  are  to  know  that 
he  is  near,  even  at  the  doors.  But  according  to  the 
writer  of  the  foregoing,  there  never  can  be  any  sign 
of  this  nature.  He  declares  there  never  has  been 
in  the  past ;  and  suppose  such  a  phenomenon  should 
occur  again ;  would  it  be  a  sign  ?  Not  in  his  eyes  ; 
for  the  hypothesis  of  vapors,  winds,  natural  laws, 
and  common  occurrences,  would  instantly  fly  to  his 
scoffing  lips.  But  something  of  this  kind  is  to  con- 
stitute a  sign;  for  the  Lord  himself  has  declared  it; 
and  we  would  like  to  ask  the  objector  how  a  dark- 


CHAPTER   VI,   VERSES  12-17.  559 

ening  of  the  sun  should  differ  from  that  of  1780,  to 
answer  to  the  prophecy  and  constitute  a  sign  ? 

But,  it  is  urged,  there  have  been  many  such 
events,  hence  it  can  be  no  sign ;  and  seven  dark  days 
are  mentioned  by  our  writer  before  1780,  and  three 
since,  for  which,  however,  he  forgot  to  give  his  au- 
thority. But  how  does  it  happen  that  nobody  has 
seemed  to  pay  any  attention  to  these  days,  or  make 
any  account  of  them  ?  and  why  is  it  that  all  fix 
upon  May  10,  1780,  as  the  only  one  worthy  of  spe- 
cial note,  giving  it  by  way  of  distinction,  the  title, 
The  Dark  Day  ? 

The  answer  is  obvious.  It  occupies  a  pre-emi- 
nent position  in  this  respect.  It  towers  up  far  above 
all  others  as  the  one  alone  remarkable  and  note- 
worthy for  its  awful  phenomena. 

But  we  are  not  left  to  decide  the  matter  from  this 
evidence  alone ;  for  our  Lord  has  not  only  told  us 
that  such  an  event  should  occur  as  a  sign  of  his  com- 
ing, but  he  has  told  us  also  when  it  should  occur. 
"  Immediately  after  the  tribulation  of  those  days," 
says  Matthew.  Mark  is  more  definite  and  says, 
"  In  those  days  after  that  tribulation,  the  sun  shall 
be  darkened,"  etc.  Mark  13  :  24.  The  "  days  "  are 
the  days  of  papal  supremacy,  the  1260  years  from 
538  to  1798;  the  tribulation  is  the  oppression 
of  Christians  by  the  Catholic  power  till  restrained 
by  the  work  of  the  Reformation.  The  tribulation 
may  be  said  to  have  ceased  about  the  middle  of  the 
18th  century.  The  "  days  "  ended  within  two  years 
of  the  close  of  that  century.  Thus  by  the  fixed 


560  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

terms  of  the  prophecy  we  are  shut  up  to  a  period  of 
about  fifty  years  in  length,  and  ending  in  1798,  in 
which  to  look  for  that  darkening  of  the  sun  which 
was  to  be  a  sign  of  the  Lord's  soon  coming. 

Again,  the  darkening  of  the  sun  was  to  be  the 
second  great  event  to  take  place  under  the  sixth 
seal.  Rev.  6  :  12.  The  first  and  the  one  which 
marked  the  opening  of  that  seal,  was  a  great  earth- 
quake, shown  to  be,  by  comparison  with  the  pre- 
ceding seals,  the  great  earthquake  of  Lisbon,  Nov. 
1,  1755.  Between  this  point  and  the  end  of  the 
papal  period  in  1798,  the  sun  was  to  be  darkened 
as  a  sign  of  the  end.  Here  we  are  shut  up  to  a 
period  of  time  positively  only  forty-three  years  in 
length,  in  which  to  look  for  that  darkening  of  the 
sun  which  was  the  subject  of  the  prediction.  Now 
it  matters  not  if  our  opponents  should  claim  seven 
thousand  dark  days  instead  of  seven,  as  notable  as 
the  one  of  1780,  it  would  not  affect  the  prediction 
or  the  sign  in  the  least  degree.  It  matters  not  how 
many  nor  what  kind  of  dark  days  there  may  have 
been  in  other  ages,  we  look  for  one  which  was  to 
take  place  in  that  brief,  specified  period  as  the  pre- 
dicted sign. 

We  fix  our  eyes  upon  that  time,  and  what  do  we 
behold  ?  We  find  not  only  the  darkening  of  the 
sun,  as  foretold,  but  we  find  a  dark  day  so  much 
more  notable  than  all  others,  that  it-  is  set  forth  by 
way  of  pre-eminence  as  "  the  dark  day,"  while  in 
general  history  all  others  are  passed  by  in  silence. 

From  one  point  it  is  very  strange  that  people  can 


CHAPTER  VI,   VERSES  12-17. 


overlook  considerations  of  this  nature  which  are 
so  decisive  upon  this  question.  From  another,  it  is 
not.  What  a  man  does  n't  want  to  see  he  can  very 
easily  keep  from  seeing.  But  the  lack  both  of  in- 
clination and  ability  we  apprehend  is  accounted  for 
by  the  prophet  Daniel,  when  he  says,  "  the  wicked 
shall  do  wickedly,  and  none  of  the  wicked  shall  un- 
derstand." 

Of  the  dark  day,  Webster's  Unabridged  Diction- 
ary, editions  of  1869  and  1870,  page  1556,  says:  — 

"Dark  Day,  The.  May  19,  1780  ;—  so-called  on 
account  of  a  remarkable  darkness  on  that  day  ex- 
tending over  all  New  England.  In  some  places 
persons  could  not  see  to  read  common  print  in  the 
open  air  for  several  hours  together.  Birds  sang 
their  evening  song,  disappeared,  and  became  silent  ; 
fowls  went  to  roost  ;  cattle  sought  the  barn-yard  ; 
and  candles  were  lighted  in  the  houses.  The  ob- 
scuration began  about  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
and  continued  till  the  middle  of  the  next  night,  but 
with  different  degrees  of  duration  in  different 
places.  For  several  days  previous,  the  wind  had 
been  variable,  but  chiefly  from  the  south-west  and 
the  north-east.  The  true  cause  of  this  remarkable 
phenomenon  is  not  known." 

While  the  learned  editor  of  Webster's  Dictionary 
testifies  so  positively  that  "  the  true  cause  of  the 
phenomenon  is  not  known"  it  is  remarkable  how 
flippantly  many  smaller  minds  proceed  to  offer  their 
explanations,  and  account  for  it  from  natural  causes. 

Those  who  lived  at  the  time,  and  had  at  least  as 
36 


562  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

good  an  opportunity  to  mark  all  its  strange  features 
and  unnatural  manifestations  as  people  of  the  pres- 
ent time,  were  filled  with  awe  at  the  occurrence,  and 
for  years,  so  long  as  the  memory  of  it  lasted,  were 
unable  to  explain  it ;  but  their  degenerate  sons,  the 
wondrously  wise  generation  of  the  present,  living 
over  a  hundred  years  from  the  time  of  its  occur- 
rence, and  having  never  seen  anything  of  the  kind, 
assume  to  explain  it  with  all  the  nonchalance  with 
which  they  would  tell  us  that  two  and  two  make 
four. 

As  the  time  when  we  were  to  look  for  the  be- 
ginning of  the  signs  is  so  definitely  located,  it  is 
further  objected  that  the  falling  of  the  stars  in 
1833  cannot  be  one  of  the  signs,  because,  according 
to  Mark  13 : 24,  25,  they  also  should  have  fallen 
within  those  days,  or  previous  to  1798,  as  this  event 
is  immediately  connected  by  the  word  "  and  "  to  the 
signs  in  the  sun  and  moon. 

We  reply  by  calling  attention  to  the  fact  that 
there  are  more  events  than  simply  the  falling  of 
the  stars  that  are  linked  to  the  series  by  the  word 
"  and."  Thus,  "  And  "  the  stars  of  heaven  shall  fall, 
"and"  the  powers  that  are  in  heaven  shall  be 
shaken,  "  and  "  then  shall  they  see  the  Son  of  man 
coming,  "and"  then  shall  he  send  his  angels  to 
gather  the  elect.  Now  the  language  certainly  is 
not  designed  to  convey  the  idea  that  all  these 
things  were  to  take  place  within  those  days ;  for 
in  that  case,  we  should  have  the  coming  of  Christ 
itself  take  place  before  the  days  ended.  Verse  29, 


CHAPTER  VI,   VERSES  12-17.  563 

stating  the  conclusion  of  the  argument,  says,  "  So 
ye  in  like  manner  when  ye  shall  see  these  things 
come  to  pass,  know  that  it  is  nigh  even  at  the 
doors."  Matthew  puts  it  in  still  stronger  language, 
when  he  says,  "  So  likewise  ye,  when  ye  shall  see 
all  these  things,  know  that  it  [margin,  he,  Christ]  is 
near,  even  at  the  doors."  But  it  would  be  absurd 
to  say  that  we  must  wait  till  the  coming  of  Christ 
takes  place  before  we  can  know  that  it  is  near,  even 
at  the  doors. 

These  facts,  then,  plainly  appear :  That  a  series 
of  associated  events  is  given  us,  covering  quite  a 
period  of  time,  beginning  at  some  point  in  the  past, 
and  reaching  down  to,  and  including,  the  second 
coming  of  Christ.  The  beginning  of  the  series  is 
placed  at  a  point  before  the  close  of  a  certain  pro- 
phetic period  designated  as  "  those  days,"  namely, 
the  1260  years  of  papal  oppression  upon  the 
church ;  but  the  end  of  the  series  lies  far  outside  of 
that  period,  as  already  shown.  Now,  the  question 
to  be  decided  is,  How  many  events  of  the  series 
given  us  are  to  be  looked  for  before  the  date  by 
which  "  those  days "  are  limited,  that  is,  before 
1798,  where  the  1260  days,  or  years,  terminated  ? 
The  only  data  we  have  upon  which  to  frame  an 
answer  are  the  facts  already  noticed ;  namely,  that 
the  events  begin  within  that  period,  but  close  out- 
side of  it ;  and  no  specified  number  is  given  as  be- 
longing to  that  period. 

The  conclusion  is  therefore  inevitable  that  if  the 
first  one  of  the  events  designated  comes  to  pass 


564  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

within  the  specified  time,  the  prophecy  is  fulfilled, 
though  all  the  others  lie  outside  of  that  time.  Had 
the  sun  alone  been  darkened  before  1798,  it  would 
have  been  sufficient  to  fulfill  the  prophecy.  The 
moon,  even,  might  have  been  darkened  this  side  of 
1798  without  vitiating  the  prophecy  in  the  least 
degree.  The  sun  and  moon  were  darkened  together 
in  1780,  eighteen  years  before  the  days  ended  ;  the 
stars  fell  in  1833,  thirty-five  years  after  the  end  of 
the  days.  We  have  reached  the  year  1880,  eighty- 
two  years  this  side  the  ending  of  the  days,  and  the 
shaking  of  the  powers  of  heaven  is  yet  future,  but 
not  far  distant,  as  other  prophecies  show ;  and  in 
immediate  connection  with  that,  as  Joel  and  John 
plainly  declare,  the  coming  of  the  Lord  is  to  take 
place. 

If  the  objector  still  insists  that  according  to  our 
application  the  stars  should  have  fallen  before  1798, 
because  it  says,  "  And  the  stars  of  heaven  shall  fall," 
we  reply  that  then  all  the  other  events  should  also 
have  taken  place  before  1798  ;  for  they  are  con- 
nected in  the  same  way.  But  this  we  have  shown 
to  be  absurd. 

And  the  Heaven  Departed  as  a  Scroll.  In  this 
event  our  minds  are  turned  to  the  future.  From 
looking  at  the  past  and  beholding  the  word  of 
God  fulfilled,  we  are  now  called  to  look  at  events 
before  us,  which  are  no  less  sure  to  come.  Here  is 
our  position  unmistakably  defined.  We  stand  be- 
tween the  13th  and  14th  verses  of  this  chapter. 
We  wait  for  the  heavens  to  depart  as  a  scroll  when 


CHAPTER  VI,    VERSES  12-17.  565 

it  is  rolled  together.  And  these  are  times  of  un- 
paralleled solemnity  and  importance ;  for  how  near 
we  may  be  to  the  fulfillment  of  these  things  we 
know  not. 

This  departing  of  the  heaven  as  a  scroll  is  what 
the  evangelists  call  in  the  same  series  of  events, 
the  shaking  of  the  powers  of  the  heavens.  Other 
scriptures  give  us  further  particulars  concerning 
this  prediction.  From  Heb.  12:25-27,  Joel  3:16, 
Jer.  25  :  30-33,  Rev.  l(i :  17,  we  learn  that  it  is  the 
voice  of  God  as  he  speaks  in  terrible  majesty  from 
his  throne  in  Heaven,  that  causes  this  fearful  com- 
motion in  earth  and  sky.  Once  the  Lord  spoke, 
when,  with  an  audible  voice,  he  declared  to  his  creat- 
ures the  precepts  of  his  eternal  law;  and  the 
earth  shook.  He  is  to  speak  again,  and  not  only 
the  earth  will  shake,  but  the  heavens  also.  Then 
will  the  earth  "  reel  to  and  fro  like  a  drunkard ; " 
it  will  be  "  disolved,"  and  "  clean  broken  down ; " 
Isa.  24;  mountains  will  move  from  their  firm 
bases;  islands  will  suddenly  change  their  loca- 
tion in  the  midst  of  the  sea ;  from  the  level  plain 
will  arise  the  precipitous  mountain ;  and  rocks  will 
thrust  up  their  ragged  forms  from  earth's  broken 
surface ;  and  while  the  voice  of  God  is  reverberating 
through  the  earth,  the  direst  confusion  will  reign 
over  the  face  of  nature. 

Then  will  the  world's  dream  of  carnal  security 
be  effectually  broken.  Kings  who,  intoxicated 
with  their  own  earthly  authority,  have  never 
dreamed  of  a  higher  power  than  themselves,  now 


566  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

realize  that  there  is  One  who  reigns  King  of 
kings;  and  the  great  men  behold  the  vanity  of 
all  earthly  pomp,  for  there  is  a  greatness  above 
that  of  earth ;  and  the  rich  men  throw  their  silver 
and  gold  to  the  moles  and  bats,  for  it  cannot  save 
them  in  that  day;  and  the  chief  captains  forget 
their  little  brief  authority  and  the  mighty  men 
their  might;  and  every  bondman,  who  is  in  the 
still  worse  bondage  of  sin,  and  every  freeman,  all 
classes  of  the  wicked,  from  the  highest  to  the  low- 
est, join  in  the  general  wail  of  consternation  and 
despair.  They  who  never  prayed  to  Him  whose 
arm  could  bring  salvation,  now  raise  an  agonizing 
prayer  to  rocks  and  mountains  to  bury  them  forever 
from  his  presence.  Fain  would  they  now  avoid 
reaping  what  they  by  a  life  of  lust  and  sin  had  sown. 
Fain  would  they  now  shun  the  fearful  treasure 
of  wrath  which  they  have  been  heaping  up  for 
themselves  against  this  day.  Fain  would  they 
bury  themselves  and  their  catalogue  of  crimes  in 
everlasting  darkness.  And  so  they  fly  to  the  rocks, 
caves,  caverns,  and  fissures  which  the  broken  sur- 
face of  the  earth  now  presents  before  them.  But 
it  is  too  late.  They  cannot  conceal  their  guilt  nor 
escape  the  long-delayed  vengeance. 

"  It  will  be  in  vain  to  call, 

Rocks  and  mountains  on  us  fall, 
For  His  hand  will  find  out  all, 
In  that  day." 

The  day  which  they  thought  never  would  come, 
has  at  last  taken  them  as  in  a  snare ;   and  the  in- 


CHAPTER   TY,    VERSES  12-17.  567 

voluntary  language  of  their  anguished  hearts,  is, 
"  The  great  day  of  his  wrath  has  come,  and  who  shall 
be  able  to  stand  ? "  Before  it  is  called  out  by  the 
fearful  scenes  of  this  time,  we  pray  you.  reader,  give 
your  most  serious  and  candid  attention  to  this  sub- 
ject. 

Many  now  affect  to  despise  the  institution  of 
prayer.  But  at  one  time  or  another  all  men  will 
pray.  Those  who  will  not  now  pray  to  God  in  peni- 
tence, will  then  pray  to  the  rocks  and  mountains  in 
despair.  And  this  will  be  the  largest  prayer-meeting 
ever  held.  As  you  read  these  lines  think  whether 
you  would  like  to  have  a  part  therein. 

Adventists  are  now  in  the  minority;  but  they 
will  then  be  in  the  majoiity ;  for  all  the  world  will 
be  Adventists.  But  alas  !  with  the  great  mass  their 
belief  will  come  too  late  to  do  them  any  good. 

Ah !  better  far 
To  cease  the  unequal  war, 

While  pardon,  hope,  and  peace  may  yet  be  found; 
Nor  longer  rush  upon  the  embossed  shield 
Of  the  Almighty;  but  repentant  yield, 
And  all  your  weapons  of  rebellion  ground. 
Better  pray  now  in  love,  than  pray  ere  long  in  fear. 
Call  ye  upon  Him,  while  He  waits  to  hear; 
So  in  the  coming  end 

When  down  the  parted  sky 
The  angelic  hosts  attend 

The  Lord  of  Heaven,  most  high, 
Before  whose  face  the  solid  earth  is  rent, 
You  may  behold  in  him  a  friend  omnipotent, 
And  safely  rest  beneath  his  sheltering  wings, 
Amid  the  ruin  of  all  earthly  things. 


VII. 


THE  SEALING  OF  THE  144,000. 

VERSE  1.  And  after  these,  things  I  saw  four  angels  stand- 
ing on  the  four  corners  of  the  earth,  holding  the  four  winds 
of  the  earth,  that  the  wind  should  not  blow  on  the  earth, 
nor  on  the  sea,  nor  on  any  tree.  2.  And  I  saw  another  an- 
gel ascending  from  the  east,  having  the  seal  of  the  living  God  ; 
and  he  cried  with  a  loud  voice  to  the  four  angels,  to  whom 
it  was  given  to  hurt  the  earth  and  the  sea,  3,  Saying,  Hurt 
not  the  earth,  neither  the  sea,  nor  the  trees,  till  we  have 
sealed  the  servants  of  our  God  in  their  foreheads. 

The  chronology  of  the  work  here  introduced,  is 
established  beyond  mistake.  The  sixth  chapter 
closed  with  the  events  of  the  sixth  seal ;  and  the 
seventh  seal  is  not  mentioned  until  we  reach  the 
opening  of  chapter  8.  The  whole*  of  chapter  7  is 
therefore  thrown  in  here  parenthetically.  Why  is 
it  thus  thrown  in  at  this  point  ?  Evidently  for  the 
purpose  of  stating  additional  particulars  concerning 
the  sixth  seal.  The  expression,  "after  these 
things,"  does  not  mean  after  the  fulfillment  of  all 
the  events  previously  described;  but  after  the 
prophet  had  been  carried  down  in  vision  to  the 
close  of  the.  sixth  seal,  in  order  not  to  break  the 
consecutive  order  of  events,  as  given  in  chapter  6, 
(568) 


CHAPTER  VII,   VERSES  1-3.  569 

then  his  mind  is  called  to  what  is  mentioned  in 
chapter  7,  as  further  particulars  to  transpire  in  con- 
nection with  that  seal.  Then  we  inquire,  Between 
what  events  in  that  seal  does  this  work  come  in  ? 
It  must  transpire  before  the  departing  of  the  heav- 
ens as  a  scroll;  for  after  that  event  there  is  no 
place  for  such  a  work  as  this.  And  it  must  take 
place  subsequently  to  the  signs  in  the  sun,  moon, 
and  stars  ;  for  these  signs  have  been  fulfilled,  and 
such  a  work  has  not  yet  been  accomplished.  It 
comes  in,  therefore,  between  the  13th  and  14th 
verses  of  Rev.  6.  But  there,  as  already  shown,  is 
just  where  we  now  stand.  Hence  the  first  part  of 
Rev.  7  relates  to  a  work,  the  accomplishment  of 
which  may  be  looked  for  at  the  present  time. 

Four  Angels.  Angels  are  ever-present  agents  in 
the  affairs  of  earth;  and  why  may  not  these  be 
four  of  those  heavenly  beings  into  whose  hands 
God  has  committed  the  work  here  described:  to 
hold  the  winds  while  it  is  God's  purpose  that  they 
should  not  blow,  and  to  hurt  the  earth  with  them 
when  the  time  comes  that  they  should  be  loosed ; 
for  it  will  be  noticed,  verse  3,  that  the  "  hurting  " 
is  a  work  committed  to  their  hands  equally  with 
the  "  holding,"  so  that  they  do  not  merely  let  the 
winds  go,  when  they  are  to  blow  ;  but  they  cause 
them  to  blow;  they  impel  forward  the  work  of 
destruction  with  their  own  supernatural  energy. 
But  the  hurting  process  here  brought  to  view  does 
not  include  the  seven  last  plagues.  That  work  is 
given  into  the  hands  of  seven  special  angels ;  this, 
into  the  hands  of  four. 


570  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  HE V ELATION. 

Four  Comers  of  the  Earth.  An  expression  de- 
noting the  four  quarters,  or  the  four  points  of  the 
compass,  and  signifying  that  these  angels,  in  their 
particular  sphere  had  charge  of  the  whole  earth. 

The  Four  Winds.  Winds,  in  the  Bible,  symbol- 
ize political  commotion,  strife,  and  war.  Dan.  7:2; 
Jer.  25  : 32.  The  four  winds,  held  by  four  angels 
standing  in  the  four  quarters  of  the  earth,  must  de- 
note all  the  elements  of  strife  and  commotion  that 
exist  in  the  world ;  and  when  they  are  all  loosed, 
and  all  blow  together,  it  will  constitute  the  great 
whirlwind  just  referred  to  in  Jeremiah. 

The  Angel  Ascending  from  the  East.  Another 
literal  angel,  having  charge  of  another  specific 
work.  Instead  of  the  words  "  ascending  from  the 
east,"  some  translations  read,  "  ascending  from  the 
sun  rising,"  which  is  a  more  literal  translation. 
We  understand  the  expression  to  signify  manner 
rather  than  locality;  that  as  the  sun  arises  with 
rays  at  first  oblique,  and  comparatively  powerless, 
but  increases  in  strength  until  it  shines  in  all  its 
meridian  power  and  splendor,  so  the  work  of  this 
angel  would  commence  in  weakness,  move  onward 
with  ever-accumulating  influence,  and  close  in 
strength  and  power. 

The  Seal  of  the  Living  God.  This  is  the  distin- 
guishing characteristic  of  the  ascending  angel.  He 
bears  with  him  the  seal  of  the  living  God.  From 
this  fact  and  the  chronology  of  his  work,  we  are  to 
determine,  if  possible,  what  movement  is  symbol- 
ized by  his  mission. 


CHAPTER  Vll,   VERSES  1-S. 


571 


The  nature  of  his  work  is  evidently  embraced  in 
his  having  the  seal  of  the  living  God  ;  and  to  ascer- 
tain what  this  work  is,  we  therefore  inquire  what 
this  seal  of  the  living  God  is,  which  he  bears  with 
him. 

1.  Definition  of  the  term.     A  seal  is  defined  to 
be  an  instrument  of  sealing,  that  which  "  is  used 
by   individuals,  corporate   bodies,  and   States,  for 
making  impressions  on  wax,  upon  instruments  of 
writing,  as  an  evidence  of  their  authenticity."    The 
original  word  in  this  passage  is  defined,  "  A  seal, 
i.  <?.,  a  signet  ring ;  a  mark,  stamp,  badge ;  a  token, 
a   pledge."     Among  the   significations  of  the  verb 
are  the  following :  "  To  secure  to  any  one,  to  make 
sure  ;  to  set  a  seal  or  mark  upon  anything  in  token 
of  its  being  genuine  or  approved ;  to  attest,  to  con- 
firm, to  establish,  to  distinguish  by  a  mark."     By  a 
comparison  of  Gen.  17  : 11,  with  Rom.  4 : 11,  and 
Rev.  7:3,  with  Eze.  9:4,  in  connection  with  the 
above  definition,  the  reader  will  see  that  the  words 
token,  sign,  seal,  and  mark,  are  used  in  the  Bible  as 
synonymous  terms.     The  seal  of  God  as  brought  to 
view  in  our  text  is  to  be  applied  to  the  servants 
of  God.     We  are  not,  of  course,  to  suppose  that  in 
this  case  it  is  some  literal  mark  to  be  made  in  the 
flesh,  but  that  it  is  some  institution  or  observance 
having  special  reference  to  God,  which  will  serve 
as  a  "  mark  of  distinction  "  between  the  worshipers 
of  God,  and  the  wicked  around  them. 

2.  The  use  of  a  seal.     A  seal  is  used  to  render 
valid  or  authentic  any  enactments  or  laws  which  a 


572  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

person  or  power  may  promulgate.  Frequent  in- 
stances of  its  use  occur  in  the  Scriptures :  In  1  Kings 
21 : 8,  we  read  that  Jezebel  "  wrote  letters  in  Ahab's 
name,  and  sealed  them  with  his  seal."  These  let- 
ters then  had  all  the  authority  of  king  Ahab. 
Again,  in  Esth.  3:12,  "In  the  name  of  king  Ahas- 
uerus  was  it  written,  and  sealed  with  the  king's 
ring."  So  also  in  chap.  8:8,"  The  writing  which  is 
written  in  the  king's  name,  and  sealed  with  the 
king's  ring,  may  no  man  reverse." 

3.  Where  a  seal  is  used.     Always  in  connection 
with  some  law  or  enactment  that  demands  obedi- 
ence, or  upon  documents  that  are  to  be  made  legal 
or  subject  to  the  provisions  of  law.     The  idea  of 
law  is  inseparable  from  a  seal. 

4.  As  applied  to  God.     We  are  not  to  suppose 
that  to  the  enactments  and  laws  of  God  binding 
upon  men,  there  must  be  attached  a   literal   seal, 
made   with    literal    instruments.      But   from    the 
definition  of  the  term,  and  the  purpose  for  which  a 
seal  is  used,  as  shown  above,  we  must  understand  a 
seal  to   be  strictly  that  which  gives  validity  and 
authenticity   to    enactments    and   laws.      This   is 
found,  though  a  literal  seal  may  not  be  used,  in  the 
name  or  signature  of  the  law-making  power,  ex- 
pressed in  such  terms  as  to  show  what  the  power 
is,  and  its  right  to  make  laws  and  demand  obedi- 
ence.    Even  with  a  literal  seal,  the  name  must  al- 
ways  be  used.     See   the   references  above   given. 
An  instance  of  the  use  of  the  name  alone  seems  to 
occur  in  Dan.  6:8:   "  Now,  O  king,  establish  the 


CHAPTER  VIIy   VERSES  1-3.  573 

decree,  and  sign  the  writing,  that  it  be  not 
changed,  according  to  the  law  of  the  Medes  and 
Persians,  which  altereth  not;"  that  is,  affix  the 
signature  of  royalty,  showing  who  it  is  that  de- 
mands obedience,  and  his  right  to  demand  it. 

In  a  gospel  prophecy  found  in  Isa.  8,  we  read: 
"  Bind  up  the  testimony,  seal  the  law  among  my 
disciples."  Yerse  16.  This  must  refer  to  a  work 
of  reviving  some  of  the  claims  of  the  law  in  the 
minds  of  the  disciples,  which  had  been  overlooked, 
or  perverted  from  their  true  meaning.  And  this, 
in  the  prophecy,  is  called  sealing  the  law,  or  restor- 
ing to  it  its  seal,  which  had  been  taken  from  it. 

Again,  the  144,000,  who,  in  the  chapter  before 
us,  are  said  to  be  sealed  with  the  seal  of  God  in 
their  foreheads,  are  again  brought  to  view  in  Rev. 
14:1,  where  they  are  said  to  have  the  Father's 
name  written  in  their  foreheads. 

From  the  foregoing  reasoning,  facts,  and  declara- 
tions of  Scriptures  two  conclusions  inevitably  fol- 
low : — 

1.  The  seal  of  God  is  found  in  connection  with 
the  law  of  God. 

2.  The  seal  of  God  is  that  part  of  his  law  which 
contains  his  name  or  descriptive  title,  showing  who 
he  is,  the  extent  of  his  dominion,  and  his  right  to 
rule. 

The  law  of  God  is  admitted  by  all  disinterested 
evangelical  denominations  to  be  summarily  con- 
tained in  the  decalogue,  or  ten  commandments.  We 
have,  then,  but  to  examine  these  commandments,  to 


574  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

see  which  one  it  is  that  constitutes  the  seal  of  the 
law,  or,  in  other  words,  makes  known  the  true  God, 
the  law-making  power.  The  first  three  command- 
ments mention  the  word  God ;  but  we  cannot  tell 
from  these,  who  is  meant ;  for  there  are  multitudes 
of  objects  to  which  this  term  is  applied.  There  are 
"gods  many  and  lords  many,"  as  the  apostle  says. 
1  Cor.  8:5.  Passing  over  the  fourth  commandment 
for  the  time  being,  the  fifth  contains  the  words  Lord 
and  God,  but  does  not  define  them  ;  and  the  remain- 
ing five  precepts  do  not  contain  the  name  of  God  at 
all.  Now  what  shall  be  done  ?  With  that  portion  of 
the  law  which  we  have  examined,  it  would  be  impos- 
sible to  convict  the  grossest  idolater  of  sin.  The  wor- 
shiper of  images  could  say,  This  idol  before  me  is  my 
god,  his  name  is  god,  and  these  are  his  precepts. 
The  worshiper  of  the  heavenly  bodies  could  also  say, 
The  sun  is  my  god,  and  I  worship  him  according  to 
this  law.  Thus,  without  the  fourth  commandment, 
the  decalogue  is  null  and  void  so  far  as  it  pertains  to 
enforcing  the  worship  of  the  true  God.  But  let  us 
now  add  the  fourth  commandment,  restore  to  the 
law  this  precept,  which  many  are  ready  to  contend 
has  been  expunged,  and  see  how  the  case  will  then 
stand.  As  we  examine  this  commandment  which 
contains  the  declaration,  "  For  in  six  days  the  Lord 
made  heaven  and  earth,  the  sea  and  all  that  in  them 
is,"  etc.,  we  see  at  once  that  we  are  reading  the 
requirements  of  Him  who  created  all  things.  The 
sun,  then,  is  not  the  God  of  the  decalogue,  V.it  He 
who  made  the  sun.  No  object  in  Heaven  or  earth 


CHAPTER  VII,   VERSES  1-3.  575 

is  the  being  who  here  demands  obedience ;  for  the 
God  of  this  law  is  the  one  who  made  all  created 
things.  Now  we  have  a  weapon  against  idolatry. 
No~v  this  law  can  no  longer  be  applied  to  false  gods, 
who  "have  not  made  the  heavens  and  the  earth." 
Jer.  10:11.  Now  the  author  of  this  law  has  de- 
clared who  he  is,  the  extent  of  his  dominion,. and  his 
right  to  rule ;  for  every  created  intelligence  must  at 
once  assent  that  He  who  is  the  Creator  of  all,  has  a 
right  to  demand  obedience  from  all  his  creatures. 
Thus,  with  the  fourth  commandment  in  its  place, 
this  wonderful  document,  the  decalogue,  the  only 
document  among  men  which  God  ever  wrote  with 
his  own  finger,  has  a  signature ;  it  has  that  which 
renders  it  intelligible  and  authentic  ;  it  has  a  seal. 
But  without  the  fourth  commandment,  it  lacks  all 
these  things. 

From  the  foregoing  reasoning  it  is  evident  that 
the  fourth  commandment  constitutes  the  seal  of 
the  law  of  God,  or  the  seal  of  God.  But  the  Scrip- 
tures do  not  leave  us  without  direct  testimony  on 
this  point. 

We  have  seen  above  that  in  Scripture  usage,  sign, 
seal,  token,  and  mark,  are  synonymous  terms. 
Now  the  Lord  expressly  says  that  the  Sabbath  is  a 
sign  between  him  and  his  people.  "Verily  my 
Sabbaths  ye  shall  keep ;  for  it  is  a  sign  between 
me  and  you  throughout  your  generations ;  that  ye 
may  know  that  I  am  the  Lord  that  doth  sanctify 
you."  Ex.  31 : 13.  The  same  fact  is  again  stated 
by  the  prophet  Ezekiel,  20 : 12,  20.  Here  the  Lord 


576  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

told  his  people  that  the  very  object  of  their  keep- 
ing the  Sabbath,  that  is,  observing  the  fourth  com- 
mandment, was  that  they  might  know  that  he  was 
the  true  God.  It  may  be  said  that  the  Sabbath 
was  only  a  sign  between  God  and  the  Jews.  True, 
when  this  was  spoken,  the  Jews  had  been  separated 
from  all  other  nations,  to  be  God's  people  and  the 
depositaries  of  all  divine  truth  in  the  earth.  But 
when  they  through  disobedience  were  broken  off, 
and  the  Gentiles  grafted  in  through  Christ,  becom- 
ing "Israelites  indeed"  and  "Jews  inwardly," 
would  not  the  declaration  apply  equally  to  them  ? 

Thus  the  fourth  commandment,  or  the  Sabbath, 
is  taken  by  the  Lord  as  a  sign  between  him  and 
his  people,  or  the  seal  of  his  law  in  both  dispensa- 
tions ;  the  people  by  that  commandment  signifying 
that  they  are  the  worshipers  of  the  true  God,  and 
God  by  the  same  commandment  making  himself 
known  as  the  great  Creator  of  all  things. 

In  harmony  with  this  we  notice  the  significant 
fact  that  whenever  the  sacred  writer  wishes  to 
point  out  the  true  God  in  distinction  from  false 
gods  of  every  description,  an  appeal  is  made  to  the 
great  facts  of  creation  upon  which  the  fourth  com- 
mandment is  based.  See  2  Kings  19  :15  ;  2  Chron. 
2:12;  Neh.  9:6;  Ps.  115:15;  121:2;  124:8; 
134  :  3  ;  146  : 6  ;  Isa.  37  : 16  ;  42  :  5  ;  44  :  24  ;  45  : 12 ; 
Job.  9:8;  Isa.  51:13;  Jer.  10:10-12;  Ps.  96:5. 
Jer.  32:17;  51:15;  Acts  4:24;  14:15;  17:23^ 
etc. 

We  refer  again  to  the  fact  that  the  same  com- 


CHAPTER   VII,   VERSES  1-3.  577 

pany,  who  in  Rev.  7  have  the  seal  of  the  living 
God  in  their  foreheads,  are  brought  to  view  again 
in  Rev.  14:1,  having  the  Father's  name  in  their 
foreheads.  This  is  good  proof  that  the  "  seal  of  the 
living  God"  and  the  "Father's  name"  are  used 
synonymously.  The  chain  of  evidence  on  this 
point  is  rendered  complete,  when  it  is  ascertained 
that  the  fourth  commandment,  which  has  been 
shown  to  be  the  seal  of  the  law,  is  spoken  of  by  the 
Lord  as  that  which  contains  his  name.  The  proof 
of  this  will  be  seen  by  referring  to  Deut.  16:6  : 
"  But  at  the  place  which  the  Lord  thy  God  shall 
choose  to  place  his  name  in,  there  shalt  thou  sacri- 
fice the  passover,"  etc.  What  was  there  where  they 
sacrificed  the  passover  ?  There  was  the  sanctuary, 
having  in  its  holiest  apartment  the  ark  with  the 
ten  commandments,  the  fourth  of  which  declared 
the  true  God,  and  contained  his  name.  Wherever 
this  was,  there  God's  name  was  placed ;  and  this 
was  the  only  object  to  which  the  language  could  be 
applied. 

Having  ascertained  what  the  seal  of  God  is,  we 
are  prepared  to  proceed  with  the  application  of  the 
prophecy.  By  the  scenes  introduced  in  the  verses 
before  us,  namely,  the  four  winds  apparently  about 
to  blow,  bringing  war  and  trouble  upon  the  land, 
and  this  work  restrained  till  the  servants  of  God 
should  be  sealed,  as  though  a  preparatory  work 
must  be  done  for  them  to  save  them  from  this 
trouble,  we  are  reminded  of  the  houses  of  the  Is- 
raelites marked  with  the  blood  of  the  paschal  lamb, 
37 


578  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

and  spared  as  the  destroying  angel  passed  over  to 
slay  the  first-born  of  the  Egyptians,  Ex.  12,  also  of 
the  mark  made  by  the  man  with  a  writer's  ink- 
horn,  Eze.  9,  upon  all  those  who  were  to  be  spared 
by  the  men  with  the  slaughtering  weapons  who 
followed  after ;  and  we  conclude  that  the  seal  of 
God,  here  placed  upon  his  servants,  is  some  dis- 
tinguishing mark  or  religious  characteristic,  through 
which  they  will  be  exempted  from  the  judgments 
of  God  that  fall  on  the  wicked  around  them. 

As  we  have  found  the  seal  of  God  in  the  fourth 
commandment,  the  inquiry  follows,  Does  the  ob- 
servance of  that  commandment  involve  any  pecul- 
iarity in  religious  practice  ?  Yes,  a  very  marked 
and  striking  one.  It  is  one  of  the  most  singular 
facts  to  be  met  with  in  religious  history  that,  in 
an  age  of  such  boasted  gospel  light  as  the  present, 
when  the  influence  of  Christianity  is  so  powerful 
and  wide-spread,  one  of  the  most  striking  pecul- 
iarities in  practice  which  a  person  can  adopt,  and 
one  of  the  greatest  crosses  he  can  take  up,  even  in 
the  most  enlightened  and  Christian  lands,  is  the 
simple  observance  of  the  law  of  God.  For  the 
fourth  commandment  requires  the  observance  of 
the  seventh  day  of  each  week  as  the  Sabbath  of 
the  Lord ;  but  almost  all  Christendom,  through  the 
combined  influence  of  paganism  and  the  papacy, 
have  been  beguiled  into  the  keeping  of  the  first 
day.  A  person  has  but  to  commence  the  observ- 
ance of  the  day  enjoined  in  the  commandment,  and 
a  mark  of  peculiarity  is  upon  him  at  once.  He  is 


CHAPTER  VII,    VERSES  1-5.  579 

distinct  alike  from  the  professedly  religious  and  the 
unconverted  world. 

We  conclude,  then,  that  the  angel  ascending 
from  the  east,  having  the  seal  of  the  living  God,  is 
a  divine  messenger  in  charge  of  a  work  of  reform 
to  be  carried  on  among  men  in  reference  to  the 
Sabbath  of  the  fourth  commandment.  The  agents 
of  this  work  on  the  earth  are  of  course  ministers  of 
Christ ;  for  to  men  is  given  the  commission  of  in- 
structing their  fellow-men  in  Bible  truth ;  but,  as 
there  is  order  in  the  execution  of  all  the  divine 
counsels,  why  may  not  a  literal  angel  have  the 
charge  and  oversight  of  this  work  ? 

We  have  already  noticed  the  chronology  of  this 
work  as  locating  it  in  our  own  time.  This  is 
further  evident  from  the  fact  that,  as  the  next 
event  after  the  sealing  of  these  servants  of  God, 
we  behold  them  before  the  throne,  with  palms  of 
victory  in  their  hands.  The  sealing  is,  therefore, 
the  last  work  to  be  accomplished  for  them  prior  to 
their  redemption. 

In  Rev.  14,  we  find  the  same  work  again  brought 
to  view  under  the  symbol  of  an  angel  flying  in  the 
midst  of  heaven  with  the  most  terrific  warning 
that  ever  fell  upon  the  ears  of  men.  W^e  shall  speak 
of  this  more  fully  when  we  reach  that  chapter. 
We  refer  to  it  now,  as  it  is  the  last  work  to  be  ac- 
complished for  the  world  before  the  coming  of 
Christ,  which  is  the  next  event  in  the  order  of  that, 
prophecy,  and  hence  must  synchronize  with  the 
work  here  brought  to  view  in  Rev.  7 : 1-3.  The 


580  THOUGHTS  OX  THE  REVELATION. 

angel  with  the  seal  of  the  living  God,  in  chapter  7, 
is  therefore  the  same  as  the  third  angel  of  chapter 
14.  *And  this  view  gives  additional  strength  to 
our  view  of  the  seal.  For  while  as  the  result  of 
the  work  in  chapter  7,  a  certain  company  are  sealed 
with  the  seal  of  the  living  God,  as  the  result  of  the 
third  message  of  chapter  14,  a  company  are  brought 
out  rendering  scriptural  obedience  to  all  the  "  com- 
mandments of  God!'  Verse  12.  But  there  is  no 
commandment  of  the  decalogue  except  the  fourth, 
upon  which  the  Christian  world  theoretically  needs 
reforming ;  and  that  this  is  the  representative  ques- 
tion in  this  message  is  evident  from  the  fact  that 
the  keeping  of  the  commandments,  observing,  with 
all  the  other  moral  precepts,  the  Lord's  Sabbath,  is 
what  distinguishes  the  servants  of  God  from  those 
who  worship  the  beast  and  receive  his  mark,  which 
is,  as  will  be  hereafter  shown,  the  observance  of  a 
counterfeit  Sabbath. 

Having  thus  briefly  noticed  the  main  points  of 
the  subject,  we  now  come  to  the  most  striking  feat- 
ure of  all.  In  exact  accordance  with  the  foregoing 
chronological  argument,  we  find  this  work  already 
being  fulfilled  before  our  eyes.  The  third  angel's 
message  is  being  proclaimed ;  the  angel  ascending 
from  the  east  is  on  his  mission ;  the  reform  on  the 
Sabbath  question  has  commenced ;  it  is  surely, 
though  yet  in  comparative  silence,  working  its  way 
•through  the  land ;  it  is  destined  to  agitate  every 
country  entitled  to  the  light  of  the  gospel ;  and  it 
will  result  in  bringing  out  a  people  prepared  for 


CHAI'TER    VII,    VERSES  1-3.  581 

the  soon  coming  of  the  Saviour,  and  sealed  for  h 
everlasting  kingdom. 

With  one  more  question,  we  leave  these  -verses 
upon  which  we  have  so  lengthily  dwelt.  Have  we 
seen  among  the  nations  any  movements  which 
would  indicate  that  the  cry  of  the  ascending  angel, 
"  Hurt  not,"  etc.,  by  the  blowing  of  the  winds,  "  till 
we  have  sealed  the  servants  of  God,"  has  in  any 
manner  been  answered  ?  The  time  during  which 
the  winds  are  held  could  not,  from  the  nature  of 
the  case,  be  a  time  of  profound  peace.  This  would 
not  answer  to  the  prophecy.  For,  in  order  for  it 
to  be  manifest  that  the  winds  were  being  held, 
there  must  be  disturbance,  agitation,  anger,  and 
jealousy  among  the  nations,  with  an  occasional  out- 
burst of  strife,  like  a  fitful  gust  breaking  away 
from  the  imprisoned  and  struggling  tempest.  And 
these  outbursts  must  be  suddenly  and  unexpectedly 
checked.  Then,  but  not  otherwise,  would  it  be  evi- 
dent to  him  who  looked  at  events  in  the  light  of 
prophecy,  that  the  restraining  hand  of  Omnipotence 
was  laid,  for  some  good  purpose,  upon  the  surging 
elements  of  strife  and  war.  And  such  has  been 
the  aspect  of  our  times  for  more  than  thirty  years. 
Commencing  with  the  great  revolution  of  1848, 
when  so  many  European  thrones  toppled  into  the 
dust,  what  a  state  of  anger  and  political  unrest  has 
existed  among  all  the  nations  of  the  earth !  New 
and  unlooked-for  complications  have  suddenly 
sprung  up,  throwing  matters  into  apparently  in- 
extricable confusion,  and  threatening  immediate 


582  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

and  direful  war.  And  now  and  then  the  conflict 
has  burst  forth  in  fury,  and  a  thousand  voices  have 
been  raised  to  predict  that  the  great  crisis  had 
come,  that  universal  war  must  result,  and  the  ter- 
mination no  man  could  foretell;  when  suddenly 
and  unaccountably  it  has  been  extinguished,  and 
all  subsided  into  quiet  again.  The  terrible  rebellion 
in  our  own  land  of  1861  to  1865  is  a  notable  in- 
stance. By  the  spring  of  the  latter  year,  so  great 
had  become  the  pressure  upon  the  nation  for  men 
and  means  to  continue  the  war  that  it  began 
seriously  to  impede  the  progress  of  the  work 
symbolized  by  the  ascending  angel,  even  threat- 
ening to  arrest  it  entirely.  Those  interested 
in  these  truths,  believing  that  the  time  had 
come  for  the  application  of  the  prophecy,  and 
that  the  words  of  the  angel,  "  Hurt  not,"  etc.,  indi- 
cated a  movement  on  the  part  of  the  church,  ac- 
cordingly raised  their  petitions  to  the  Ruler  of  na- 
tions to  restrain  the  cruel  work  of  tumult  and  war. 
Days  of  fasting  and  prayer  were  set  apart  for 
this  purpose.  The  time  at  which  this  occurred  was 
a  dark  and  gloomy  period  of  the  war ;  and  not  a 
few  high  in  political  life  predicted  its  indefinite 
continuance,  and  an  appalling  intensity  of  all  its 
evils.  But  suddenly  a  change  came ;  and  not  three 
months  had  elapsed  from  the  time  of  which  we 
speak,  ere  the  last  rebel  army  had  surrendered,  and 
the  last  organized  rebel  had  laid  down  his  arms. 
So  sudden  and  entire  was  the  collapse,  and  so  grate- 
ful were  all  hearts  at  relief  from  the  pressure  of  the 


UHAl'TER    VII,    VERSES  4~$-      .  583 

terrible  strife,  that  the  nation  broke  forth  into  a 
song  of  Jubilee,  and  these  words  were  conspicuously 
displayed  at  the  national  capitol :  "  This  is  the 
Lord's  doing ;  it  is  marvelous  in  our  eyes"  There 
are  those  who  believe  there  was  a  definite  cause  for 
this  sudden  cessation  of  the  strife,  of  which,  of 
course,  the  world  is  but  little  aware.  The  sudden 
conclusion  of  the  German-French  war  of  1870  and 
the  recent  war  between  Turkey  and  Russia  may  be 
cited  as  still  later  examples.  Perhaps  further 
events  of  this  kind  are  yet  to  be  witnessed  to  ful- 
fil more  completely  this  feature  of  the  prophecy. 

VERSE  4.  And  I  heard  the  number  of  them  which  were 
sealed  ;  and  there  were  sealed  a  hundred  and  forty  and  four 
thousand  of  all  the  tribes  of  the  children  of  Israel.  5.  Of 
the  tribe  of  Judah  were  sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of  the 
tribe  of  Reuben  were  sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of  the  tribe 
of  Gad  were  sealed  twelve  thousand.  6.  Of  the  tribe  of 
Aser  were  sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of  the  tribe  of  Nepth- 
alim  were  sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of  the  tribe  of 
Manasseh  were  sealed  twelve  thousand.  7.  Of  the  tribe  of 
Simeon  were  sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of  the  tribe  of  Levi 
were  sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of  the  tribe  of  Issachar  were 
sealed  twelve  thousand.  8.  Of  the  tribe  of  Zebulun  were 
sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of  the  tribe  of  Joseph  were  sealed 
twelve  thousand.  Of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin  were  sealed 
twelve  thousand. 

The  number  sealed  is  here  stated  to  be  one  hun- 
dred and  forty-four  thousand ;  and  from  the  fact 
that  twelve  thousand  are  sealed  from  each  of  the 
twelve  tribes,  many  suppose  that  this  work  must 
have  been  accomplished  as  far  back  at  least  as  about 
the  beginning  of  the  Christian  era,  when  these  tribes 


584  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

were  literally  in  existence.  They  do  not  see  how  it 
can  apply  to  our  own  time  when  every  trace  of  dis- 
tinction between  these  tribes  has  been  so  long  and 
so  completely  obliterated.  We  refer  such  to  the 
opening  language  of  the  epistle  of  James :  "  James, 
a  servant  of  God  and  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  to 
the  twelve  tribes  which  are  scattered  abroad,  greet- 
ing: My  brethren,  count  it  all  joy  when  ye  fall 
into  divers  temptations,"  etc.  Those  whom  James 
here  addresses,  are,  1.  Christians;  for  they  are 
his  brethren.  2.  They  are  not  the  converts  to 
Christianity  from  the  Jews,  the  twelve  tribes  of 
his  own  day ;  for  he  addresses  them  in  view  of  the 
coming. of  the  Lord.  See  chapter  5.  He  is  thus 
addressing  the  last  generation  of  Christians,  the 
Christians  of  our  own  day ;  and  he  calls  them  the 
twelve  tribes  scattered  abroad.  How  can  this  be  ? 
Paul  explains  in  Rom.  11 :  17-24.  In  the  striking 
figure  of  grafting  which  he  there  introduces,  the 
tame  olive  tree  represents  Israel.  Some  of  the 
branches,  the  natural  descendants  of  Abraham,  were 
broken  off*  because  of  unbelief  (in  Christ).  Through 
faith  in  Christ  the  wild  olive  scions,  the  Gentiles, 
are  grafted  into  the  tame  olive  stock,  and  thus  the 
twelve  tribes  are  perpetuated.  And  here  we  rind 
an  explanation  of  the  language  of  the  same  apostle : 
"They  are  not  all  Israel  which  are  of  Israel,"  and 
"  he  is  not  a  Jew  which  is  one  outwardly,  .  .  .  but 
he  is  a  Jew  which  is  one  inwardly."  Rom.  9  :  6-8 ; 
2 :  28,  29.  So  we  find  on  the  gates  of  the  New 
Jerusalem,  which  is  a  New-Testament  or  Christian, 


CHAPTER  VII,   VERSES  4-8.  585 

not  a  Jewish,  city,  the  names  of  the  twelve  tribes 
of  the  children  of  Israel.  On  the  foundations  of 
this  city  are  inscribed  the  names  of  the  twelve 
apostles  of  the  Lamb,  and  on  the  gates  the  names 
of  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel.  Rev.  21 : 12-14.  If 
the  twelve  tribes  belong  exclusively  to  the  former 
dispensation,  the  more  natural  order  would  have 
been  to  have  their  names  on  the  foundations,  and 
those  of  the  twelve  apostles  on  the  gates ;  but  no, 
the  names  of  the  twelve  tribes  are  on  the  gates. 
And  as  through  these  gates,  so  inscribed,  all  the 
redeemed  hosts  will  go  in  and  out,  so,  as  belonging 
to  these  twelve  tribes  will  all  the  redeemed  be  reck- 
oned, whether  on  earth  they  were  Jews  or  Gentiles. 
Of  course  we  look  in  vain  for  any  marks  of  dis- 
tinction between  the  tribes  here  on  earth ;  for  since 
Christ  has  appeared  in  the  flesh,  the  preservation  of 
the  genealogy  of  the  tribes  is  not  necessary.  But 
in  Heaven,  where  the  names  of  the  church  of  the 
first-born  are  being  enrolled,  we  may  be  sure  there 
is  order,  and  that  each  name  is  enrolled  in  its  proper 
tribe. 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  enumeration  of  the 
tribes  here  differs  from  that  given  in  other  places. 
The  twelve  sons  of  Jacob  who  became  the  heads  of 
great  families,  called  tribes,  were,  Reuben,  Simeon, 
Levi,  Judah,  Issachar,  Zebulun,  Benjamin,  Dan, 
Naphtali,  Gad,  Aser,  and  Joseph.  But  Jacob,  on 
his  dying  bed,  adopted  the  sons  of  Joseph,  Ephraim 
and  Manasseh,  to  constitute  two  of  the  tribes  of 
Israel.  Gen.  48:45.  This  divided  the  tribe  of 


586  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

Joseph,  making  thirteen  tribes  in  all.  But  in  the 
distribution  of  the  land  of  Canaan  by  lot,  they  num- 
bered but  twelve  tribes,  and  made  but  twelve  lots ; 
for  the  tribe  of  Levi  was  left  out,  being  appointed 
to  the  service  of  the  tabernacle,  and  having  no 
inheritance.  But  in  the  passage  before  us,  Ephraim 
and  Dan  are  omitted,  and  Levi  and  Joseph  put  in 
their  places.  The  omission  of  Dan  is  accounted  for 
by  commentators  on  the  ground  that  that  tribe  was 
the  one  chiefly  addicted  to  idolatry.  See  Judges 
18,  etc.  The  tribe  of  Levi  here  takes  its  place  with 
the  rest,  as  in  the  heavenly  Canaan  the  reasons  for 
their  not  having  an  inheritance,  as  in  the  earthly, 
will  not  exist;  and  Joseph  is  probably  put  for 
Ephraim,  it  being  a  name  which  appears  to  have 
been  applied  to  either  of  the  tribes  of  Ephraim  or 
Manasseh.  Num.  13:11. 

Twelve  thousand  were  sealed  "out  of"  each  of 
the  twelve  tribes,  showing  that  not  all  who  in  the 
records  of  Heaven  had  a  place  among  these  tribes 
when  this  sealing  work  commenced,  stood  the  test, 
and  were  overcomers  at  last.  For  the  names  of 
those  already  in  the  book  of  life  will  be  blotted  out, 
unless  they  overcome.  Rev.  3 :  5. 

VERSE  9.  After  this  I  beheld,  and,  lo,  a  great  multitude, 
which  no  man  could  number,  of  all  nations,  and  kindreds, 
and  people,  and  tongues,  stood  before  the  throne,  and  before 
the  Lamb,  clothed  with  white  robes,  and  palms  in  their 
hands,  10,  And  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying,  Salvation  to 
our  God  which  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb. 
11.  And  all  the  angels  stood  round  about  the  throne,  and 
about  the  elders  and  the  four  beasts,  and  fell  before  the 


CHAPTER  VII,   VEKSES  9-12.  587 

throne  on  their  faces,  and  worshiped  God,  12,  Saying, 
Amen  ;  Blessing  and  glory,  and  wisdom,  and  thanksgiving, 
and  honor,  and  power,  and  might,  be  unto  our  God  forever 
and  ever.  Amen. 

The  sealing  having  been  accomplished,  John  .be- 
holds a  countless  multitude  worshiping  God  in  rap- 
ture before  his  throne.  This  vast  throng  are  un- 
doubtedly the  saved  out  of  every  nation,  kindred, 
tribe,  and  tongue,  raised  from  the  dead  at  the  second 
coming  of  Christ,  showing  that  the  sealing  is  the 
last  work  accomplished  for  the  people  of  God,  prior 
to  translation. 

VERSE  13.  And  one  of  the  elders  answered,  saying  unto 
me,  What  are  these  which  are  arrayed  in  white  robes  1  and 
whence  came  they?  14.  And  I  said  unto  him,  Sir,  thou 
knowest.  And  he  said  unto  me,  These  are  they  which  came 
out  of  great  tribulation,  and  have  washed  their  robes,  and 
made  them  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  15.  Therefore 
are  they  before  the  throne  of  God,  and  serve  him  day  and 
night  in  his  temple  ;  and  He  that  sitteth  on  the  throne  shall 
dwell  among  them.  16.  They  shall  hunger  no  more,  neither 
thirst  any  more  ;  neither  shall  the  sun  light  on  them,  nor 
any  heat.  17.  For  the  Lamb  which  is  in  the  midst  of  the 
throne  shall  feed  them,  and  shall  lead  them  unto  living  fount- 
ains of  waters  ;  and  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from 
their  eyes. 

The  questions  proposed  by  one  of  the  elders  to 
John,  What  are  these  which  are  arrayed  in  white 
robes?  and  whence  came  they  ?  taken  in  connection 
with  John's  answer,  Sir,  thou  knowest,  implying 
that  he  did  not  know,  would  seem  to  be  devoid  of 
all  point,  if  they  had  reference  to  the  whole  of  the 


588  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

great  multitude  now  before  him.  For  John  did 
know  who  they  were,  and  from  whence  they  came ; 
inasmuch  as  he  had  just  said  that  they  were  people^ 
redeemed  of  course,  out  of  all  nations,  kindreds, 
people  and  tongues ;  and  John  could  have  answered, 
These  are  the  redeemed  ones  from  all  the  nations 
of  the  earth.  But  if  a  special  company  in  this  vast 
throng  were  referred  to,  distinguished  by  some 
special  mark  or  position,  then  it  might  not  be  so 
evident  who  they  were,  and  what  had  given  them 
their  peculiarity;  and  the  questions  as  applied  to 
them  would  be  appropriate  and  pertinent.  We  there- 
fore incline  to  the  view  that  attention  is  called  to  a 
special  company  by  the  questions  which  were  pro- 
posed by  one  of  the  elders;  and  no  company  is 
brought  to  vie\\  to  which  special  allusion  would 
more  naturally  be  made,  than  to  the  company  spok- 
en of  in  the  first  part  of  the  chapter,  namely,  the 
144,000.  John  had  indeed  seen  this  company  in 
their  mortal  state  as  they  were  receiving  the  seal 
of  the  living  God  amid  the  troublous  scenes  of  the 
last  days ;  but  as  they  here  stand  among  the  re- 
deemed throng,  the  transition  is  so  great,  and  the 
condition  in  which  they  now  appear  so  different, 
that  he  does  not  recognize  them  as  the  special  com- 
pany which  he  saw  sealed  upon  the  earth.  And  to 
this  company,  the  language  that  follows  seems  to 
be  specially  applicable : — 

1.  They  came  out  of  great  tribulation.  While 
it  is  true  in  some  degree  of  all  Christians  that  they 
must  "through  much  tribulation  enter  into  the 


CHAPTER   VII,    VERSES  13-17.  589 

kingdom  of  God,"  it  is  true  in  a  very  emphatic 
sense  of  the  144,000.  They  pass  through  the  great 
time  of  trouble  such  as  never  was  since  there  was 
a  nation.  Dan.  12  :  1.  They  experienced  the  men- 
tal anguish  of  the  time  of  Jacob's  trouble.  Jer.  30 : 
4-7.  They  stand  without  a  mediator  through  the 
terrific  scenes  of  the  seven  last  plagues,  those  exhi- 
bitions of  God's  unmingled  wrath  in  the  earth. 
Rev.  15:  16.  They  pass  through  the  severest  time 
of  trouble  the  world  has  ever  known,  although  they 
are  delivered  out  of  it. 

2.  They  wash  their  robes  and  make  them  white 
in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.     To  the  last  generation 
the  testimony  is  very  emphatic  on  the  subject  of 
obtaining  the  white  raiment.     Rev.  3  :  5,  18.     And 
though  the  144,000  are  accused  of  rejecting  Christ 
and   trusting   to   their   own  works   for   salvation, 
because  they  refuse  to  violate  the  commandments 
of  God,  Rev.  14 : 1,  12,  in  the  great  day  that  cal- 
umny will  be  wiped  off.     It  will  be  seen  that  they 
have  rested  their  hope  of  life  on  the  merits  of  the 
shed  blood  of  their  divine  Redeemer,  making  him 
their  source  of   righteousness.     There  is   peculiar 
force   in   saying  of  these  that  they  have  washed 
their  robes  and  made  them  white  in  the  blood  of 
the  Lamb. 

3.  Verse  15  describes   the   post  of  honor  they 
occupy  in  the  kingdom,  and  their  nearness  to  God. 
In  another  place  they  are  called  "the  first-fruits 
unto  God  and  the  Lamb."     Rev.  14 :  4. 

4.  In  verse  16,  it  is  said,  "They  shall  hunger  no 


590  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

more,  neither  thirst  any  more."  This  shows  that 
they  have  once  suffered  hunger  and  thirst.  To  what 
can  this  refer?  As  it  doubtless  has  reference  to 
some  special  experience,  may  it  not  refer  to  their 
experience  in  the  time  of  trouble,  more  especially 
during  the  plagues  ?  In  this  time  the  righteous 
will  be  reduced  to  bread  and  water;  and  though 
that  "will  be  sure,"  Isa.  33:  16,  enough  for  suste- 
nance, yet  may  it  not  be  that,  when  the  pastures, 
with  all  fruits  and  vegetation,  are  dried  up,  Joel  1 : 
18-20,  and  the  rivers  and  fountains  are  turned  to 
blood,  Rev.  16:4-0,  to  reduce  their  connection 
with  earth  and  earthly  things  to  the  lowest  limit, 
the  saints  who  pass  through  that  time  will  be 
brought  occasionally  to  the  extreme  degrees  of  hun- 
ger and  thirst  ?  But  the  kingdom,  once  gained, 
"they  shall  hunger  no  more,  neither  thirst  any 
more."  And  the  prophet  continues  in  reference  to 
this  company,  "Neither  shall  the  sun  light  on  them 
nor  any  heat."  We  remember  that  the  144,000  live 
through  the  time  when  power  is  given  unto  the  sun 
"to  scorch  men  with  fire."  Rev.  16 :  8,  9.  And 
though  they  are  shielded  from  the  deadly  effect 
which  it  has  upon  the  wicked  around  them,  we 
cannot  suppose  that  their  sensibilities  will  be  so 
blunted  that  they  will  feel  no  unpleasant  sensations 
from  the  terrific  heat.  No,  as  they  enter  the  fields 
of  the  heavenly  Canaan,  they  will  be  prepared  to 
appreciate  the  divine  assurance,  that  the  sun  shall 
not  light  upon,  or  injure  them,  nor  any  heat. 
5.  And  the  Lamb  shall  lead  them.  Another  tes- 


CHAPTER   VII,    VERSES  13-17.  591 

timony  concerning  the  same  company,  and  applying 
at  the  same  time,  says,  "These  are  they  which  follow 
the  Lamb  whithersoever  he  goeth."  Rev.  14:4. 
Both  expressions  denote  the  state  of  intimate  and 
divine  companionship  to  which  the  blessed  Re- 
deemer admits  them  in  reference  to  himself. 

The  psalmist  in  the  following  beautiful  passage 
seems  to  allude  to  the  same  promise :  "  They  shall 
be  abundantly  satisfied  with  the  fatness  of  Thy 
house;  and  thou  shalt  make  them  drink  of  the 
river  of  thy  pleasures."  Ps.  36 :  8.  The  phrase- 
ology of  this  promise  to  the  one  hundred  and  forty- 
four  thousand  is  also  partially  found  in  the  follow- 
ing glowing  prophecy  from  the  pen  of  Isaiah :  "  He 
will  swallow  up  death  in  victory;  and  the  Lord 
God  will  wipe  away  tears  from  off  all  faces;  and 
the  rebuke  of  his  people  shall  he  take  away  from 
oiT  all  the  earth ;  for  the  Lord  hath  spoken  it."  Isa. 
25:8. 


VIII. 


THE   SEVEN   TRUMPETS. 

WE  name  as  the  subject  of  this  chapter  the  seven 
trumpets,  as  these  constitute  the  main  theme  of  the 
chapter,  although  there  are  other  matters  intro- 
duced before  the  opening  of  that  series  of  events. 
The  first  verse  of  this  chapter  relates  to  the  events 
of  the  preceding  chapters,  and  should  not,  we  think, 
have  been  separated  from  them  by  the  division  of 
the  chapter. 

VERSE  1.  And  when  he  had  opened  the  seventh  seal, 
there  was  silence  in  Heaven  about  the  space  of  half  an  hour. 

The  series  of  the  seven  seals  is  here  resumed  and 
concluded.  The  sixth  chapter  closed  with  the  events 
of  the  sixth  seal,  the  eighth  commences  with  the 
opening  of  the  seventh  seal,  causing  the  seventh 
chapter  to  stand  parenthetically,  between  the  sixth 
and  seventh  seals,  thereby  showing  that  the  sealing 
work  of  that  chapter  belongs  to  the  sixth  seal. 

Silence  in  Heaven.  Concerning  the  cause  of  this 
silence  only  conjecture  can  be  offered — a  conject- 
ure, however,  which  is  supported  by  the  events  of 
the  sixth  seal.  That  seal  does  not  bring  us  to  the 

(592) 


CHAPTER  VIII,   VERSES  1-5.  593 

second  advent,  although  it  embraces  events  that 
transpire  in  close  connection  therewith.  It  intro- 
duces the  fearful  commotions  of  the  elements  de- 
scribed as  the  rolling  of  the  heavens  together  as  a 
scroll,  caused  by  the  voice  of  God,  the  breaking  up 
of  the  surface  of  the  earth,  and  the  confession  at 
last  on  the  part  of  the  wicked  that  the  great  day 
of  God's  wrath  is  come.  They  are  doubtless  in  mo- 
mentary expectation  of  seeing  the  King  appear,  in, 
to  them,  unendurable  glory.  But  the  seal  stops  just 
short  of  that  event.  The  personal  appearing  of 
Christ  must  therefore  be  allotted  to  the  next  seal. 
But  when  the  Lord  appears,  he  comes  with  all  the 
holy  angels  with  him.  Matt.  25:  31.  And  when 
all  the  heavenly  harpers-  leave  the  courts  above  to 
come  down  with  their  divine  Lord  as  he  descends 
to  gather  the  fruit  of  his  redeeming  work,  will  there 
not  be  silence  in  Heaven  ? 

The  length  of  this  period  of  silence,  if  we  con- 
sider it  prophetic  time,  would  be  about  seven  days. 

VERSE  2.  And  I  saw  the  seven  angels  which  stood  before 
God  ;  and  to  them  were  given  seven  trumpets. 

This  verse  introduces  a  new  and  distinct  series 
of  events.  In  the  seals,  we  have  had  the  history  of 
the  church  during  what  is  called  the  gospel  dispen- 
sation. In  the  seven  trumpets,  now  introduced,  we 
have  the  principal  political  and  warlike  events 
which  were  to  transpire  during  the  same  time. 

TERSE  3.     And  another  angel  came  and  stood  at  the  altar, 
having  a  golden  censer ;  and  there  was  given  unto  him  much 
38 


594  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

incense,  that  he  should  offer  it  with  the  prayers  of  all  saints 
upon  the  golden  altar  which  was  before  the  throne.  4.  And 
the  smoke  of  the  incense,  which  came  with  the  prayers  of 
the  saints,  ascended  up  before  God  out  of  the  angel's  hand. 
5.  And  the  angel  took  the  censer,  and  filled  it  with  fire  of 
the  altar,  and  cast  it  into  the  earth  ;  and  there  were  voices, 
and  thunderings,  and  lightnings,  and  an  earthquake. 

Having,  as  it  were,  in  verse  2,  brought  out  the 
seven  angels,  and  introduced  them  before  us  upon 
the  stage  of  action,  John  for  a  moment,  in  the  three 
verses  last  quoted,  directs  attention  to  an  entirely 
different  scene.  The  angel  which  approaches  the 
altar  is  not  one  of  the  seven  trumpet  angels.  The 
altar  is  the  altar  of  incense,  which  in  the  earthly 
sanctuary  was  placed  in  the  first  apartment.  Here, 
then,  is  another  proof  that  there  exists  in  Heaven  a 
sanctuary  with  its  corresponding  vessels  of  service, 
of  which  the  earthly  was  the  figure,  and  that  we 
are  taken  into  that  sanctuary  by  the  visions  of  John. 
A  work  of  ministration  in  the  sanctuary  above,  for 
all  the  saints,  is  thus  brought  to  view.  Doubtless 
the  entire  work  of  mediation  for  the  people  of  God 
during  the  gospel  dispensation,  is  here  presented. 
This  is  apparent  from  the  fact  that  the  angel  offers 
his  incense  with  the  prayers  of  all  saints ;  and  that 
we  are  here  carried  forward  to  the  end,  is  evident 
from  the  act  of  the  angel  in  filling  the  censer  with 
fire  and  casting  it  unto  the  earth ;  for  his  work  is 
then  done ;  no  more  prayers  are  to  be  offered  up 
mingled  with  incense;  and  this  can  have  its  appli- 
cation only  at  the  time  when  the  ministration  of 
Christ  in  the  sanctuary  in  behalf  of  mankind  has 


CHATTER  VIII,   VERSES  3-6.  595 

forever  ceased.  And  the  events  that  follow  this 
act  of  the  angel,  namely,  voices,  thunderings,  light- 
nings, and  an  earthquake,  are  exactly  such  as  we 
are  elsewhere  informed  transpire  at  the  close  of 
human  probation.  See  Rev.  11 :  19  ;  16  : 17,  18. 

But  why  are  .these  verses  thus  thrown  in  here? 
Answer.  As  a  message  of  hope  and  comfort  for  the 
church.  The  seven  angels  with  their  warlike  trum- 
pets had  been  introduced ;  terrible  scenes  were  to 
transpire  under  their  sounding;  but,  before  they 
commence,  the  church  is  pointed  to  the  work  of 
mediation  in  their  behalf  above,  and  their  source  of 
help  and  strength  during  this  time.  Though  they 
should  be  tossed  like  feathers  upon  the  tumultuous 
waves  of  strife  and  war,  they  were  to  know  that 
their  great  High  Priest  still  ministered  for  them 
in  the  sanctuary  in  Heaven,  and  that  thither  they 
could  direct  their  prayers,  and  have  them  offered 
with  incense  to  their  Father  in  Heaven.  Thus  could 
they  gain  strength  and  support  in  all  their  calam- 
ities. 

VERSE  6.  And  the  seven  angels  which  had.  the  seven 
trumpets  prepared  themselves  to  sound. 

The  subject  of  the  seven  trumpets  is  here  resumed 
and  occupies  the  remainder  of  this  chapter  and  all 
of  chapter  9.  The  seven  angels  prepare  themselves 
to  sound.  Their  sounding  comes  in  as  a  comple- 
ment to  the  prophecy  of  Dan.  2  and  7,  commencing 
with  the  breaking  up  of  the  old  Roman  empire  into 
its  ten  divisions,  of  which,  in  the  first  four  trumpets, 
we  have  a  description. 


596  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

VERSE  7.  The  first  angel  sounded,  and  there  followed 
hail  and  fire  mingled  with  blood,  and  they  were  cast  upon 
the  earth ;  and  the  third  part  of  trees  was  burnt  up,  and  all 
green  grass  was  burnt  up. 

A  full  exposition  of  the  seven  trumpets  is  given 
in  a  work  entitled  "  An  Exposition  of  the  Seven 
Trumpets  of  Rev.  8  and  9,"  published  at  the  RE- 
VIEW AND  HERALD  Office,  Battle  Creek,  Mich.,  to 
which  the  reader  is  referred  for  a  more  extended 
examination  of  the  subject.  To  that  work  we  are 
chiefly  indebted  for  the  extracts  given  below. 

Mr.  Keith  has  very  justly  remarked  on  the  sub- 
ject of  this  prophecy : — 

"  None  could  elucidate  the  texts  more  clearly,  or 
expound  them  more  fully,  than  the  task  has  been 
performed  by  Gibbon.  The  chapters  of  the  skeptical 
philosopher,  that  treat  directly  of  the  matter,  need 
but  a  text  to  be  prefixed,  and  a  few  unholy  words 
to  be  blotted  out,  to  form  a  series  of  expository  lec- 
tures on  the  eighth  and  ninth  chapters  of  Revelation." 
"Little  or  nothing  is  left  for  the  professed  inter- 
preter to  do  but  to  point  to  the  pages  of  Gibbon." 

The  first  sore  and  heavy  judgment  which  fell  on 
Western  Rome  in  its  downward  course,  was  the  war 
with  the  Goths  under  Alaric,  who  opened  the  way 
for  later  inroads.  After  the  death  of  Theodosius, 
the  Roman  emperor,  in  January  395,  before  the  end 
of  the  winter,  the  Goths,  under  Alaric,  were  in  arms 
against  the  empire. 

"Hail  and  fire,  mingled  with  blood,  were  cast 
upon  the  earth."  The  terrible  effects  of  this  Gothic 


CHAPTER  VIII,   VERSE  7.  597 

invasion,  are  represented  as  "hail,"  from  the  fact 
of  the  northern  origin  of  the  invaders ;  "  fire,"  from 
the  destruction  by  flame  of  both  city  and  country ; 
and  "blood,"  from  the  terrible  slaughter  of  the 
citizens  of  the  empire  by  the  bold  and  intrepid 
warriors. 

The  blast  of  the  first  trumpet  has  its  location  at 
the  close  of  the  fourth  century,  and  onward,  and 
refers  to  these  desolating  invasions  of  the  Roman 
empire  by  the  Goths. 

I  know  not  how  the  history  of  the  sounding  of 
the  first  trumpet  can  be  more  impressively  set  forth 
than  by  presenting  the  graphic  rehearsal  of  the  facts 
stated  in  Gibbon's  history,  by  Mr.  Keith,  in  his 
Signs  of  the  Times,  Vol.  I,  pp.  221-233. 

"  Large  extracts  show  how  amply  and  well  Gib- 
bon has  expounded  his  text,  in  the  history  of  the 
first  trumpet,  the  first  storm  that  pervaded  the  Ro- 
man earth,  and  the  first  fall  of  Rome.  To  use  his 
words  in  more  direct  comment,  we  read  thus  the 
sum  of  the  matter :  The  Gothic  nation  was  in  arms 
at  the  first  sound  of  the  trumpet,  and  in  the  uncom- 
mon severity  of  the  winter,  they  rolled  their  pon- 
derous wagons  over  the  broad  and  icy  back  of  the 
river.  The  fertile  fields  of  Phocis  and  Boeotia  were 
crowded  with  a  'deluge  of  barbarians;  the  males 
were  massacred;  the  females  and  cattle  of  the 
flaming  villages  were  driven  away.  The  deep  and 
bloody  traces  of  the  march  of  the  Goths  could  easily 
be  discovered  after  several  years.  The  whole  ter- 
ritory of  Attica  was  blasted  by  the  baneful  presence 


598  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

of  Alaric.  The  most  fortunate  of  the  inhabitants 
of  Corinth,  Argos,  Sparta,  were  saved  by  death 
from  beholding  the  conflagration  of  their  cities.  In 
a  season  of  such  extreme  heat  that  the  beds  of  the 
rivers  were  dry,  Alaric  invaded  the  dominion  of  the 
West.  A  secluded  '  old  man  of  Verona/  the  poet 
Claudian,  pathetically  lamented  the  fate  of  his  con- 
temporary trees,  which  must  blaze  in  the  conflagra- 
tion of  the  whole  country :  [note  the  words  of  the 
prophecy, — 'the  third  part  of  the  trees  was  burnt 
up]  and  the  emperor  of  the  Romans  fled  before  the 
king  of  the  Goths. 

"  A  furious  tempest  was  excited  among  the  na- 
tions of  Germany;  from  the  northern  extremity  of 
which  the  barbarians  marched  almost  to  the  gates 
of  Rome.  They  achieved  the  destruction  of  the 
West.  The  dark  cloud  which  was  collected  along 
the  coasts  of  the  Baltic,  burst  in  thunder  upon  the 
banks  of  the  Upper  Danube.  The  pastures  of  Gaul, 
in  which  flocks  and  herds  grazed,  and  the  banks  of 
the  Rhine,  which  were  covered  with  elegant  houses 
and  well-cultivated  farms,  formed  a  scene  of  peace 
and  plenty,  which  was  suddenly  changed  into  a 
desert,  distinguished  from  the  solitude  of  nature 
only  by  smoking  ruins.  Many  cities  were  cruelly 
oppressed  or  destroyed.  Many  thousands  were  in- 
humanly massacred.  And  the  consuming  flames  of 
war  spread  over  the  greatest  part  of  the  seventeen 
provinces  of  Gaul. 

"Alaric  again  stretched  his  ravages  over  Italy. 
During  four  years,  the  Goths  ravaged  and  reigned 


CHAPTER  VIII,   VERSE  8.  599 

over  it  without  control.  And,  in  the  pillage  and 
fire  of  Rome,  the  streets  of  the  city  were  filled  with 
dead  bodies ;  the  flames  consumed  many  public  and 
private  buildings;  and  the  ruins  of  a  palace  re- 
mained (after  a  century  and  a  half),  a  stately  mon- 
ument of  the  Gothic  conflagration. 

"  The  concluding  sentence  of  the  thirty-third 
chapter  of  Gibbon's  History,  is,  of  itself,  a  clear  and 
comprehensive  commentary ;  for,  in  winding  up  his 
own  description  of  the  brief,  but  most  eventful 
period,  he  concentrates,  as  in  a  parallel  reading,  trie 
sum  of  the  history,  and  the  substance  of  the  predic- 
tion. But  the  words  which  precede  it  are  not  with- 
out their  meaning:  '  The  public  devotion  of  the  age 
was  impatient  to  exalt  the  saints  and  martyrs  of 
the  Catholic  church  on  the  altars  of  Diana,  and  Her- 
cules. The  union  of  the  Roman  empire  was  dis- 
solved; its  genius  was  humbled  in  the  dust;  and 
armies  of  unknown  barbarians,  issuing  from  the 
frozen  regions  of  the  North,  had  established  their 
victorious  reign  over  the  fairest  provinces  of  Europe 
and  Africa.' 

"The  last  word, — Africa, — is  the  signal  for  the 
sounding  of  the  second  trumpet.  The  scene  changes 
from  the  shores  of  the  Baltic  to  the  southern  coast 
of  the  Mediterranean,  or  from  the  frozen  regions  of 
the  North  to  the  borders  of  burning  Africa.  And 
instead  of  a  storm  of  hail  being  cast  upon  the  earth, 
a  burning  mountain  was  cast  into  the  sea." 

VERSE  8.  And  the  second  angel  sounded,  and  as  it  were 
a  great  mountain  burning  with  fire  was  cast  into  the  sea ; 


600  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

and  the  third  part  of  the  sea  became  blood ;  9  ;  And  the 
third  part  of  the  creatures  which  were  in  the  sea,  and  had 
life,  died ;  and  the  third  part  of  the  ships  were  destroyed. 

The  Roman  empire,  after  Constantine,  was  divid- 
ed into  three  parts ;  and  hence  the  frequent  remark,  , 
"a  third  part  of  men,"  etc.,  in  allusion  to  the  third 
part  of  the  empire  which  was  under  the  scourge. 
This  division  of  the  Roman  kingdom  was  made  at 
the  death  of  Constantine,  between  his  three  sons, 
Constantius,  Constantine  II,  and  Constans.  Con- 
stantius  possessed  the  East,  and  fixed  his  residence 
at  Constantinople,  the  new  metropolis  of  the  em- 
pire. Constantine  the  Second  held  Britain,  Gaul, 
and  Spain.  Constans  held  Illyrica,  Africa,  and 
Italy.  (See  Saline  s  Eccl.  Hist,  p.  155.)  Of  this 
well-known  historical  fact,  Albert  Barnes,  in  his 
notes  on  Rev.  12 :  4,  says:  "Twice,  at  least,  before 
the  Roman  empire  became  divided  permanently  into 
the  two  parts,  ^the  Eastern  and  the  Western,  there 
was  a  tripartite  division  of  the  empire.  The  first 
occurred  A.  D.  311,  when  it  was  divided  between 
Constantine,  Licinius,  and  Maxirnin ;  the  other  A. 
D.  337,  on  the  death  of  Constantine,  when  it  was 
divided  between  his  three  sons,  Constantine,  Con- 
stans, and  Constantius." 

The  history  illustrative  of  the  sounding  of  the 
second  trumpet  evidently  relates  to  the  invasion 
and  conquest  of  Africa,  and  afterward  of  Italy,  by 
the  terrible  Genseric.  His  conquests  were,  for  the 
most  part,  NAVAL ;  and  his  triumphs  were  "  as  it 
were  a  great  mountain  burning  with  fire,  cast  into 


CHAPTER  VIII,   VERSES  8,  9.  601 

the  sea."  What  figure  would  better,  or  so  well, 
illustrate  the  collision  of  navies,  and  the  general 
havoc  of  war  on  the  maritime  coasts  ?  In  explain- 
ing this  trumpet,  we  are  to  look  for  some  events 
which  will  have  a  particular  bearing  on  the  com- 
mercial world.  The  symbol  used,  naturally  leads 
us  to  look  for  agitation  and  commotion.  Nothing 
but  a  fierce  maritime  warfare  would  fulfill  the  pre- 
diction. If  the  sounding  of  the  first  four  trumpets 
relates  to  four  remarkable  events  which  contributed 
to  the  downfall  of  the  Roman  empire,  and  the  first 
trumpet  refers  to  the  ravages  of  the  Goths  under 
Alaric,  in  this  we  naturally  look  for  the  next  suc- 
ceeding act  of  invasion  which  shook  the  Roman 
power  and  conduced  to  its  fall.  The  next  great 
invasion  was  that  of  "  the  terrible  Genseric,"  at  the 
head  of  the  Vandals.  His  career  was  marked  by 
the  years  A.  D.  428-468.  This  great  Vandal  chief 
had  his  headquarters  m  Africa.  But,  as  Gibbon 
states,  "  The  discovery  and  conquest  of  the  Black 
nations  (in  Africa),  that  might  dwell  beneath  the 
torrid  zone,  could  not  tempt  the  rational  ambition 
of  Genseric ;  but  he  cast  his  eyes  TOWARD  THE  SEA  ; 
he  resolved  to  create  a  naval  power,  and  his  bold 
resolution  was  executed  with  steady  and  active 
perseverance."  From  the  port  of  Carthage  he  repeat- 
edly made  piratical  sallies,  and  preyed  on  the  Ro- 
man commerce,  and  waged  war  with  that  empire. 
To  cope  with  this  sea  monarch,  the  Roman  emperor, 
Majorian,  made  extensive  naval  preparation.  Three 
hundred  long  galleys,  with  an  adequate  proportion 


602  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

of  transports  and  smaller  vessels,  were  collected  in 
the  secure  and  capacious  harbor  of  Carthagena,  in 
Spain.  But  Genseric  was  saved  from  impending 
and  inevitable  ruin  by  the  treachery  of  some  pow- 
erful subjects,  envious  or  apprehensive  of  their  mas- 
ter's success.  Guided  by  their  secret  intelligence, 
he  surprised  the  unguarded  fleet  in  the  bay  of  Car- 
thagena; many  of  the  ships  were  sunk,  or  taken, 
or  burnt,  and  the  preparations  of  three  years  were 
destroyed  in  a  single  day. 

Italy  continued  to  be  long  afflicted  by  the  inces- 
sant depredations  of  the  Vandal  pirates.  In  the 
spring  of  each  year  they  equipped  a  formidable 
navy  in  the  port  of  Carthage,  and  Genseric  himself, 
though  at  a  very  advanced  age,  still  commanded  in 
person  the  most  important  expeditions. 

The  Vandals  repeatedly  visited  the  coasts  of  Spain, 
Liguria,  Tuscany,  Campania,  Leucania,  Brutium, 
Apulia,  Calabria,  Venetia,  Dalmatia,  Epirus,  Greece, 
and  Sicily. 

The  celerity  of  their  motion  enabled  them,  almost 
at  the  same  time,  to  threaten  and  to  attack  the 
most  distant  objects  which  attracted  their  desires ; 
and  as  they  always  embarked  a  sufficient  number 
of  horses,  they  had  no  sooner  landed  than  they 
swept  the  dismayed  country  with  a  body  of  light 
cavalry. 

A  last  and  desperate  attempt  to  dispossess  Gen- 
seric of  the  sovereignty  of  the  seas,  was  made  in  the 
year  4G8,  by  LEO,  the  emperor  of  the  East,  Gibbon 
bears  witness  to  this  as  follows : — 


CHAPTER  VIII,    VERSES  <?,  9.  603 

"The  whole  expense  of  the  African  campaign 
amounted  to  the  sum  of  one  hundred  and  thirty 
thousand  pounds  of  gold, — about  five  million  two 
hundred  thousand  pounds  sterling.  The  fleet  that 
sailed  from  Constantinople  to  Carthage,  consisted 
of  eleven  hundred  and  thirteen  ships,  and  the  num- 
ber of  soldiers  and  mariners  exceeded  one  hundred 
thousand  men.  The  army  of  Heraclius,  and  the 
fleet  of  Marcellinus,  either  joined  or  seconded  the 
Imperial  Lieutenant.  The  wind  became  favorable 
to  the  designs  of  Genseric.  He  manned  his  largest 
ships  of  war  with  the  bravest  of  the  Moors  and  Van- 
dals, and  they  towed  after  them  many  large  barks 
filled  with  combustible  materials.  In  the  obscurity 
of  the  night,  these  destructive  vessels  were  impelled 
against  the  unguarded  and  unsuspecting  fleet  of  the 
Romans,  who  were  awakened  by  a  sense  of  their 
instant  danger.  Their  close  and  crowded  order 
assisted  the  progress  of  the  fire,  which  was  commu- 
nicated with  rapid  and  irresistible  violence,  and  the 
noise  of  the  wind,  the  crackling  of  the  flames,  the 
dissonant  cries  of  the  soldiers  and  mariners,  who 
could  neither  command  nor  obey,  increased  the  hor- 
ror of  the  nocturnal  tumult.  Whilst  they  labored 
to  extricate  themselves  from  the  fire-ships,  and  to 
save  at  least  a  part  of  the  navy,  the  galleys  of  Gen- 
seric  assaulted  them  with  temperate  and  disciplined 
valor ;  and  many  of  the  Romans  who  escaped  the 
fury  of  the  flames,  were  destroyed  or  taken  by  the 
victorious  Vandals.  After  the  failure  of  this  great 
expedition,  Genseric  again  became  the  tyrant  of  the 


604  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

sea;  the  coasts  of  Italy,  Greece,  and  Asia,  were 
again  exposed  to  his  revenge  and  avarice.  Tripoli 
and  Sardinia  returned  to  his  obedience;  he  added 
Sicily  to  the  number  of  his  provinces ;  and  before 
he  died,  in  the  fullness  of  years  and  of  glory,  he 
beheld  the  FINAL  EXTINCTION  of  the  empire  of  the 
West"— Gibbon,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  495-498. 

Concerning  the  important  part  which  this  bold 
corsair  acted  in  the  downfall  of  Rome,  Mr.  Gibbon 
uses  this  significant  language :  "  Genseric,  a  name 
which,  in  the  destruction  of  the  Roman  empire,  has 
deserved  an  equal  rank  with  the  names  of  Alaric 
and  Attila." 

VERSE  10.  And  the  third  angel  sounded,  and  there  fell 
a  great  star  from  heaven,  burning  as  it  were  a  lamp,  and  it 
fell  upon  the  third  part  of  the  rivers,  and  upon  the  fountains 
of  waters  ;  11 ;  And  the  name  of  the  star  is  called  Worm- 
wood ;  and  the  third  part  of  the  waters  became  wormwood  ; 
and  many  men  died  of  the  waters,  because  they  were  made 
bitter. 

In  the  interpretation  and  application  of  this  pas- 
sage, we  are  brought  to  the  third  important  event 
which  resulted  in  the  subversion  of  the  Roman 
empire.  And  in  finding  a  historical  fulfillment  of 
this  third  trumpet,  we  shall  be  indebted  to  the 
Notes  of  Mr.  Albert  Barnes  for  a  few  extracts.  In 
explaining  this  scripture,  it  is  necessary,  as  this 
commentator  says,  — 

"  That  there  should  be  some  chieftain,  or  warrior, 
who  might  be  compared  to  a  blazing  meteor ;  whose 
course  would  be  singularly  brilliant;  who  would 
appear  suddenly  LIKE  a  blazing  star,  and  then  dis- 


CHAPTER   VIII,    VERSES  10,  11.  (595 

appear  like  a  star  whose  light  was  quenched  in  the 
waters.  That  the  desolating  course  of  that  meteor 
would  be  mainly  on  those  portions  of  the  world 
that  abounded  with  springs  of  water  and  running 
streams.  That  an  effect  would  be  produced  as  if 
those  streams  and  fountains  were  made  bitter;  that 
is,  that  many  persons  would  perish,  and  that  wild 
desolations  would  be  caused  in  the  vicinity  of  those 
rivers  and  streams,  as  if  a  baleful  star  should  fall 
into  the  waters,  and  death  should  spread  over  lands 
adjacent  to  them  and  watered  by  them." — Notes  on 
Rev.  8. 

It  is  here  premised  that  this  trumpet  has  allu- 
sion to  the  desolating  wars  and  furious  invasions  of 
Attila  against  the  Eoman  power,  which  he  carried 
on  at  the  head  of  his  hordes  of  Huns.  Speaking  of 
this  warrior,  particularly  of  his  personal  appear- 
ance, Mr.  Barnes,  on  Rev.  8,  says : — 

"In  the  manner  of  his  appearance,  he  strongly 
resembled  a  brilliant  meteor  flashing  in  the  sky. 
He  came  from  the  east,  gathering  his  Huns,  and 
poured  them  down,  as  we  shall  see,  with  the  rapid- 
ity of  a  flashing  meteor,  suddenly  on  the  empire. 
He  regarded  himself  also  as  devoted  to  MARS,  the 
god  of  war,  and  was  accustomed  to  array  himself 
in  a  peculiarly  brilliant  manner,  so  that  his  appear- 
ance, in  the  language  of  his  flatterers,  was  such  as 
to  dazzle  the  eyes  of  the  beholders." 

In  speaking  of  the  locality  of  the  events  pre- 
dicted by  this  trumpet,  Mr.  Barnes  has  this  note : — 

"  It  is  said  particularly  that  the  effect  would  be 


606  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

on  '  the  rivers '  and  on  '  the  fountains  of  waters.'  If 
this  has  a  literal  application,  or  if,  as  was  supposed 
in  the  case  of  the  second  trumpet,  the  language  was 
such  as  had  reference  to  the  portion  of  the  empire 
that  would  be  particularly  affected  by  the  hostile 
invasion,  then  we  may  suppose  that  this  refers  to 
those  portions  of  the  empire  that  abounded  in  rivers 
and  streams,  and  more  particularly  those  in  which 
the  rivers  and  streams  had  their  origin, — for  the 
effect  was  permanently  in  the  'fountains  of  the 
waters.'  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  principal  opera- 
tions of  Attila  were  on  the  regions  of  the  Alps,  and 
on  the  portions  of  the  empire  whence  the  rivers 
flow  down  into  Italy.  The  invasion  of  Attila  is 
described  by  Mr.  Gibbon  in  this  general  language : 
'  The  whole  breadth  of  Europe,  as  it  extends  above 
five  hundred  miles  from  the  Euxine  to  the  Adriatic, 
was  at  once  invaded,  and  occupied,  and  desolated, 
by  the  myriads  of  barbarians  whom  Attila  led  into 
the  field.'" 

"  And  the  name  of  the  star  is  called  Wormwood 
[denoting  the  bitter  consequences].  These  words — 
which  are  more  intimately  connected  with  the  pre- 
ceding verse,  as  even  the  punctuation  in  our  version 
denotes — recall  us  for  a  moment  to  the  character  of 
Attila,  to  the  misery  of  which  he  was  the  author, 
or  the  instrument,  and  to  the  terror  that  was  in- 
spired by  his  name. 

" '  Total  extirpation  and  erasure,'  are  terms  which 
best  denote  the  calamities  he  inflicted."  He  styled 
himself,  "  The  Scourge  of  God." 


CHAPTER  VIII,   VERSE  12. 


"One  of  his  lieutenants  chastised  and  almost  ex- 
terminated the  Burgundians  of  the  Rhine.  They 
traversed,  both  in  their  march  and  in  their  return, 
the  territories  of  the  Franks  ;  and  they  massacred 
their  hostages  as  well  as  their  captives.  Two  hun- 
dred young  maidens  were  tortured  with  exquisite 
and  unrelenting  rage  ;  their  bodies  were  torn  asun- 
der by  wild  horses,  or  were  crushed  under  the 
weight  of  rolling  wagons  ;  and  their  unbtiried  limbs 
were  abandoned  on  public  roads,  as  a  prey  to  dogs 
and  vultures. 

"  It  was  the  boast  of  Attila  that  the  grass  never 
grew  on  the  spot  which  his  horse  had  trod.  The 
,  Western  Emperor,  with  the  senate  and  people  oi 
Rome,  humbly  and  fearfully  deprecated  the  wrath 
of  Attila.  And  the  concluding  paragraph  of  the 
chapters  which  recorded  his  history,  is  entitled, 
1  Symptoms  of  the  decay  and  ruin  of  the  Roman 
'government.'  The  name  of  the  star  is  called  Worm- 

O 

wood."  —  Keith. 

VERSE  12.  And  the  fourth  angel  sounded,  and  the  third 
part  of  the  sun  was  smitten,  and  the  third  part  of  the  moon, 
and  the  third  part  of  the  stars  ;  so  as  the  third  part  of  them 
was  darkened,  and  the  day  shone  not  for  a  third  part  of  it, 
and  the  night  likewise. 

We  understand  that  this  trumpet  symbolizes  the 
career  of  Odoacer,  the  barbarian  monarch,  who  was 
so  intimately  connected  with  the  downfall  of  West- 
ern Rome.  The  symbols  —  sun,  moon,  and  stars  — 
evidently  denote  the  great  luminaries  of  the  Roman 
government,  —  its  Emperors,  Senators,  and  Consuls. 


608-  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

Bishop  Newton  remarks  that  the  last  emperor  of 
Western  Rome  was  Momyllus,  who  in  derision  was 
called  Augustulus,  or  the  "  diminutive  Augustus." 
Western  Rome  fell  A.  D.  476.  Still,  however,  though 
the  Roman  sun  was  extinguished,  its  subordinate 
luminaries  shone  faintly  while  the  senate  and  con- 
suls continued.  But  after  many  civil  reverses,  and 
changes  of  political  fortune,  at  length,  A.  D.  566,  the 
whole  form  of  the  ancient  government  was  sub- 
verted, arid  Rome  itself  was  reduced  from  being  the 
empress  of  the  world,  to  a  poor  dukedom,  tributary 
to  the  Exarch  of  Ravenna. 

"  EXTINCTION  of  the  Western  empire,  A.  D.  476, 
or  A.  D.  479.  The  unfortunate  Augustulus  was 
made  the  instrument  of  his  own  disgrace ;  and  he 
signified  his  resignation  to  the  senate;  and  that 
assembly,  in  their  last  act  of  obedience  to  a  Roman 
prince,  still  affected  the  spirit  of  freedom  and  the 
forms  of  the  constitution.  An  epistle  was  addressed, 
by  their  unanimous  decree,  to  the  Emperor  Zeno, 
the  son-in-law  and  successor  of  Leo,  who  had  lately 
been  restored,  after  a  short  rebellion,  to  the  Byzan- 
tine throne.  They  solemnly  disclaim  the  necessity 
or  even  the  wish  of  continuing  any  longer  the  im- 
perial succession  in  Italy;  since  in  their  opinion 
the  majesty  of  a  sole  monarch  is  sufficient  to  per- 
vade and  to  protect,  at  the  same  time,  both  the  East 
and  the  West.  In  their  own  name,  and  in  the  name 
of  the  people,  they  consent  that  the  seat  of  univer- 
sal empire  shall  be  transferred  from  Rome  to  Con- 
stantinople ;  and  they  basely  renounced  the  right 


CHAPTER  VIII,   VERSE  12.  609 

of  choosing  their  master,  the  only  remaining  vestige 
which  yet  remained  of  the  authority  which  .had 
given  laws  to  the  world. 

"  The  power  and  glory  of  Rome,  as  bearing  rule 
over  any  nation,  became  extinct.  The  name  alone 
remained  to  the  queen  of  nations.  Every  token  of 
royalty  disappeared  from  the  imperial  city.  She 
who  had  ruled  over  the  nations,  sat  in  the  dust,  like 
a  second  Babylon,  and  there  was  no  throne  where 
the  Caesars  had  reigned.  The  last  act  of  obedience 
to  a  Roman  prince,  which  that  once  august  assembly 
performed,  was  the  acceptance  of  the  resignation  of 
the  last  emperor  of  the  West,  and  the  abolition  of 
the  imperial  succession  in  Italy.  The  sun  of  Rome 
was  smitten. 

"  A  new  conqueror  of  Italy,  Theodoric,  the  Os- 
trogoth, speedily  arose,  who  unscrupulously  assumed 
the  purple,  and  reigned  by  the  right  of  conquest. 
'  The  royalty  of  Theodoric  was  proclaimed  by  the 
Goths  (March  5,  A.  D.  493),  with  the  tardy,  reluc- 
tant, ambiguous  consent  of  the  emperor  of  the  East.' 
The  imperial  Roman  power,  of  which  either  Rome 
or  Constantinople  had  been  jointly  or  singly  the 
seat,  whether  in  the  "West  or  the  East,  was  no 
longer  recognized  in  Italy,  and  the  third  part  of  the 
sun  was  smitten,  till  it  emitted  no  longer  the  faint- 
est rays.  The  power  of  the  Caesars  was  unknown 
in  Italy ;  and  a  Gothic  king  reigned  over  Rome. 

"  But  though  the  third  part  of  the  sun  was  smit- 
ten, and  the  Roman  Imperial  power  was  at  an  end 

in  the  city  of  the  Caesars,  yet  the  moon  and  the 
39 


610  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

stars  still  shone,  or  glimmered,  for  a  little  longer  in 
the  western  hemisphere,  even  in  the  midst  of  Gothic 
darkness.  The  consulship  and  the  senate  ('the 
moon  and  the  stars')  were  not  abolished  by  Theo- 
doric.  'A  Gothic  historian  applauds  the  consul- 
ship of  Theodoric  as  the  hight  of  all  temporal  power 
and  greatness ;' — as  the  moon  reigns  by  night,  after- 
the  setting  of  the  sun.  And,  instead  of  abolishing 
that  office,  Theodoric  himself  *  congratulates  those 
annual  favorites  of  fortune,  who,  without  the  cares, 
enjoyed  the  splendor  of  the  throne/ 

"  But  in  their  prophetic  order,  the  consulship  and 
the  senate  of  Rome  met  their  fate,  though  they  fell 
not  by  the  hands  of  Vandals  or  of  Goths.  The  next 
revolution  in  Italy  was  in  subjection  to  Belisarius, 
the  general  of  Justinian,  emperor  of  the  East.  He 
did  not  spare  what  barbarians  had  allowed.  '  The 
Roman  consulship  extinguished  by  Justinian,  A.  D. 
541,'  is  the  title  of  the  last  paragraph  of  the  forti- 
eth, chapter  of  Gibbon's  History  of  the  Decline  and 
Fall  of  Rome..  '  The  succession  of  the  consuls  finally 
ceased  in  the  thirteenth  year  of  Justinian,  whose 
despotic  temper  might  be  gratified  by  the  silent 
extinction  of  a  title  which  admonished  the  Romans 
of  their  ancient  freedom.'  The  third  part  of  the  sun 
was  smitten,  and  the  third  part  of  the  moon,  and 
the  third  part  of  the  stars.  In  the  political  firma- 
ment of  the  ancient  world,  while  under  the  reign  of 
imperial  Rome,  the  emperorship,  the  consulate,  and 
the  senate,  shone  like  the  sun,  the  moon,  and  the 
stars.  The  history  of  their  decline  and  fall  is 


CHAPTER  VIII,   VERSE  IS.  611 

brought  down  till  the  two  former  were  'extin- 
guished,' in  reference  to  Rome  and  Italy,  which  so 
long  had  ranked  as  the  first  of  cities  and  of  coun- 
tries ;  and  finally,  as  the  fourth  trumpet  closes,  we 
see  the  '  extinction  of  that  illustrious  assembly,'  the 
Roman  senate.  The  city  that  had  ruled  the  world, 
as  if  in  mockery  of  human  greatness,  was  conquered 
by  the  eunuch  Narses,  the  successor  of  Belisarius. 
He  defeated  the  Goths  (A.  D.  552),  achieved  'the 
conquest  of  Rome,'  and  the  fate  of  the  senate  was 
sealed." 

VERSE  13.  And  I  beheld,  and  heard  an  angel  flying 
through  the  midst  of  heaven,  saying  with  a  loud  voice,  Woe, 
woe,  woe,  to  the  inhabiters  of  the  earth  by  reason  of  the 
other  voices  of  the  trumpet  of  the  three  angels,  which  are 
yet  to  sound. 

This  angel  is  not  one  of  the  series  of  the  seven 
trumpet  angels,  but  simply  one  who  announces  that 
the  three  remaining  trumpets  are  woe  trumpets,  on 
account  of  the  more  terrible  events  to  transpire 
under  their  sounding.  Thus  the  next,  or  fifth, 
trumpet  is  the  first  woe,  the  sixth  trumpet,  the 
second  woe ;  and  the  seventh,  the  last  one  in  this 
series  of  seven  trumpets,  is  the  third  woe. 


IX. 


THE  SEVEN  TRUMPETS  CONTINUED. 

VERSE  1.  And  the  fifth  angel  sounded,  and  I  saw  a  star 
fall  from  heaven  unto  the  earth  :  and  to  him  was  given  the 
key  of  the  bottomless  pit. 

For  an  exposition  of  this  trumpet  we  shall  again 
draw  from  the  writings  of  Mr.  Keith.  This  writer 
truthfully  says: — 

"There  is  scarcely  so  uniform  an  agreement 
among  interpreters  concerning  any  part  of  the 
apocalypse  as  respecting  the  application  of  the  fifth 
and  sixth  trumpets,  or  the  first  and  second  woes,  to 
the  Saracens  and  Turks.  It  is  so  obvious  that  it 
can  scarcely  be  misunderstood.  Instead  of  a  verse 
or  two  designating  each,  the  whole  of  the  ninth 
chapter  of  the  Revelation,  in  equal  portions,  is  occu- 
pied with  a  description  of  both. 

"  The  Roman  empire  declined,  as  it  arose,  by  con- 
quest; but  the  Saracens  and  the  Turks  were  the 
instruments  by  which  a  false  religion  became  the 
scourge  of  an  apostate  church ;  and  hence,  instead 
of  the  fifth  and  sixth  trumpets,  like  the  former, 
being  marked  by  that  name  alone,  they  are  called 
woes. 

(612) 


THE  WOE    TRUMPET 


SARACENS. 


THE  TURKS  WITH   FIREARMS. 


PLATE  IX.— SYMBOLS  OF  REVELATION7  IX. 


CHAPTER  IX,   VERSE  1.  613 

"  Constantinople  was  besieged  for  the  first  time 
after  the  extinction  of  the  Western  empire,  by 
Chosroes,  the  king  of  Persia." 

"  A  star  fell  from  heaven  unto  the  earth :  and  to 
him  was  given  the  key  of  the  bottomless  pit." 

"While  the  Persian  monarch  contemplated  the 
wonders  of  his  art  and  power,  he  received  an  epistle 
from  an  obscure  citizen  of  Mecca,  inviting  him  to 
acknowledge  Mohammed  as  the  apostle  of  God.  He 
rejected  the  invitation,  and  tore  the  epistle.  '  It  is 
thus,'  exclaimed  the  Arabian  prophet,  'that  God 
will  tear  the  kingdom,  and  reject  the  supplication 
of  Chosroes.  Placed  on  the  verge  of  these  two  em- 
pires of  the  East,  Mohammed  observed  with  secret 
joy  the  progress  of  mutual  destruction;  and  in  the 
midst  of  the  Persian  triumphs  he  ventured  to  fore- 
tell, that  before  many  years  should  elapse,  victory 
should  again  return  to  the  banners  of  the  Romans/ 
'  At  the  time  when  this  prediction  is  said  to  have 
been  delivered,  no  prophecy  could  be  more  distant 
from  its  accomplishment  (!)  since  the  first  twelve 
years  of  Heraclius  announced  the  approaching  dis- 
solution of  the  empire/ 

"  It  was  not,  like  that  designation  of  Attila,  on  a 
single  spot  that  the  star  fell,  but  UPON  THE  EARTH. 

"Chosroes  subjugated  the  Roman  possessions  in 
Asia  and  Africa.  And  'the  Roman  empire/  at  that 
period,  'was  reduced  to  the  walls  of  Constantinople, 
with  the  remnant  of  Greece,  Italy,  and  Africa,  and 
some  maritime  cities,  from  Tyre  to  Trebizond,  of 
the  Asiatic  coast.  The  experience  of  six  years  at 


614  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  BEVELATION. 

length  persuaded  the  Persian  monarch  to  renounce 
the  conquest  of  Constantinople,  and  to  specify  the 
annual  tribune  of  the  ransom  of  the  Roman  empire : 
a  thousand  talents  of  gold,  a  thousand  talents  of 
silver,  a  thousand  silk  robes,  a  thousand  horses,  and 
a  thousand  virgins.  Heraclius  subscribed  to  these 
ignominious  terms.  But  the  time  and  space  which 
he  obtained  to  collect  those  treasures  from  the  pov- 
erty of  the  East,  were  industriously  employed  in 
the  preparation  of  a  bold  and  desperate  attack.' 

"  The  king  of  Persia  despised  the  obscure  Saracen, 
and  derided  the  message  of  the  pretended  prophet 
of  Mecca.  Even  the  overthrow  of  the  Roman  em- 
pire would  not  have  opened  a  door  for  Mohammed- 
anism, or  for  the  progress  of  the  Saracenic  armed 
propagators  of  an  imposture,  though  the  monarch  of 
the  Persians  and  chagan  of  the  Avars  (the  successor 
of  Attila)  had  divided  between  them  the  remains  of 
the  kingdom  of  the  Caesars.  Chosroes  himself  fell. 
The  Persian  and  Roman  monarchies  exhausted  each 
other's  strength.  And  before  a  sword  was  put  into 
the  hands  of  the  false  prophet,  it  was  smitten  from 
the  hands  of  those  who  would  have  checked  his 
career,  and  crushed  his  power. 

"Since  the  days  of  Scipio  and  Hannibal,  no 
bolder  enterprise  has  been  attempted  than  that 
which  Heraclius  achieved  for  the  deliverance  of  the 
empire.  He  explored  his  perilous  way  through  the 
Black  Sea  and  the  mountains  of  Armenia,  pene- 
trated into  the  heart  of  Persia,  and  recalled  the 
armies  of  the  great  king  to  the  defense  of  their 
bleeding  country." 


CHAPTER  IX,   VERSE  1.  615 

"In  the  battle  of  Nineveh,  which  was  fiercely 
fought  from  daybreak  to  the  eleventh  hour,  twenty- 
eight  standards,  besides  those  which  might  be  bro- 
ken or  torn,  were  taken  from  the  Persians;  the 
greatest  part  of  their  army  was  cut  in  pieces,  and 
the  victors,  concealing  their  own  loss,  passed  the 
night  on  the  field.  The  cities  and  palaces  of  Assyria 
were  opened  for  the  first  time  to  the  Romans. 

"  The  Roman  emperor  was  not  strengthened  by 
the  conquests  which  he  achieved;  and  a  way  was 
prepared  at  the  same  time,  and  by  the  same  means, 
for  the  multitude  of  Saracens  from  Arabia,  like 
locusts  from  the  same  region,  who,  propagating  in 
their  course  the  dark  and  delusive  Mohammedan 
creed,  speedily  overspread  both  the  Persian  and 
Roman  empires. 

"  More  complete  illustration  of  this  fact  could  not 
be  desired  than  is  supplied  in  the  concluding  words 
of  the  chapter  from  Gibbon,  from  which  the  preced- 
ing extracts  are  taken."  "Although  a  victorious 
army  had  been  formed  under  the  standard  of  Her- 
aclius,  the  unnatural  effort  seems  to  have  exhausted 
rather  than  exercised  their  strength.  While  the 
emperor  triumphed  at  Constantinople  or  Jerusalem, 
an  obscure  town  on  the  confines  of  Syria  was  pil- 
laged by  the  Saracens,  and  they  cut  in  pieces  some 
troops  who  advanced  to  its  relief, — an  ordinary  and 
trifling  occurrence,  had  it  not  been  the  prelude  of  a 
mighty  revolution.  These  robbers  were  the  apostles 
of  Mohammed;  their  fanatic  valor  had  emerged 
from  the  desert ;  and  in  the  last  eight  years  of  his 


616  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

reign,  Heraclius  lost  to  the  Arabs  the  same  prov- 
inces which  he  had  rescued  from  the  Persians." 

"'  The  spirit  of  fraud  and  enthusiasm,  whose 
abode  is  not  in  the  heavens,'  was  let  loose  on  earth. 
The  bottomless  pit  needed  but  a  key  to  open  it; 
and  that  key  was  the  fall  of  Chosroes.  He  had  con- 
temptuously torn  the  letter  of  an  obscure  citizen  of 
Mecca.  But  when  from  his  'blaze  of  glory,'  he 
sunk  into  the  'tower  of  darkness/  which  no  eye  could 
penetrate,  the  name  of  Chosroes  was  suddenly  to 
pass  into  oblivion  before  that  of  Mohammed ;  and 
the  crescent  seemed  but  to  wait  its  rising  till  the 
falling  of  the  star.  Chosroes,  after  his  entire  dis- 
comfiture and  loss  of  empire,  was  murdered  in  the 
year  628;  and  the  year  629  is  marked  by  'the  con- 
quest of  Arabia,'  '  and  the  first  war  of  the  Moham- 
medans against  the  Roman  empire.'  And  the  fifth 
angel  sounded,  and  I  saw  a  star  fall  from  heaven 
unto  the  earth ;  and  to  him  was  given  the  key  of 
the  bottomless  pit.  And  he  opened  the  bottomless 
pit.  He  fell  unto  the  earth.  When  the  strength  of 
the  Roman  empire  was  exhausted,  and  the  great 
king  of  the  East  lay  dead  in  his  tower  of  darkness, 
the  pillage  of  an  obscure  town  on  the  borders  of 
Syria  was  'the  prelude  of  a  mighty  revolution.' 
'  The  robbers  were  the  apostles  of  Mohammed,  and 
their  fanatic  valor  emerged  from  the  desert.' " 

The  Bottomless  Pit.  The  meaning  of  this  term 
may  be  learned  from  the  Greek  dfiwffo?,  which  is 
defined  "  deep,  bottomless,  profound,"  and  may  refer 
to  any  waste,  desolate,  and  uncultivated  place.  It 


CHAPTER  IX,   VERSES  f,  5.  617 

is  applied  to  the  earth  in  its  original  state  of 
chaos.  Gen.  1:2.  In  this  instance  it  may  appropri- 
ately refer  to  the  unknown  wastes  of  the  Arabian 
desert,  from  the  borders  of  which  issued  the  hordes 
of  Saracens  like  swarms  of  locusts.  And  the  fall  of 
Chosroes,  the  Persian  king,  may  well  be  represented 
as  the  opening  of  the  bottomless  pit,  inasmuch  as 
it  prepared  the  way  for  the  followers  of  Moham- 
med to  issue  from  their  obscure  country,  and  prop- 
agate their  delusive  doctrines  with  fire  and  sword, 
till  they  had  spread  their  darkness  over  all  the 
Eastern  empire. 

VERSE  2.  And  he  opened  the  bottomless  pit ;  and  there 
arose  a  smoke  out  of  the  pit,  as  the  smoke  of  a  great  fur- 
nace ;  and  the  sun  and  the  air  were  darkened  by  reason  of 
the  smoke  of  the  pit 

"  Like  the  noxious  and  even  deadly  vapor  which 
the  winds,  particularly  from  the  south-west,  diffuse 
in  Arabia,  Mohammedanism  spread  from  thence 
its  pestilential  influence, — arose  as  suddenly,  and 
spread  as  widely,  as  smoke  arising  out  of  the  pit, 
the  smoke  of  a  great  furnace.  Such  is  a  suitable 
symbol  of  the  religion  of  Mohammed,  of  itself,  or  as 
compared  with  the  pure  light  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus. 
It  was  not  like  the  latter,  a  light  from  Heaven, 
but  a  smoke  out  of  the  bottomless  pit." 

VERSE  3.  And  there  came  out  of  the  smoke  locusts  upon 
the  earth ;  and  unto  them  was  given  power,  as  the  scorpions 
of  the  earth  have  power. 

"  A  false  religion  was  set  up,  which,  although  the 
scourge  of  transgressions  and  idolatry,  filled  the 


618  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

world  with  darkness  and  delusion ;  and  swarms  of 
Saracens,  like  locusts,  overspread  the  earth,  and 
speedily  extended  their  ravages  over  the  Roman 
empire,  from  east  to  west.  The  hail  descended 
from  the  frozen  shores  of  the  Baltic;  the  burn- 
ing mountaiii  fell  upon  the  sea  from  Africa ;  and 
the  locusts  (the  lit  symbol  of  the  Arabs)  issued  from 
Arabia,  their  native  region.  They  came  as  destroy- 
ers, propagating  a  new  doctrine,  and  stirred  up  to 
rapine  and  violence  by  motives  of  interest  and  re- 
ligion. 

"  A  still  more  specific  illustration  may  be  given 
of  the  power,  like  unto  that  of  scorpions,  which  was 
given  them.  Not  only  was  their  attack  speedy 
and  vigorous,  but  'the  nice  sensibility  of  honor, 
which  weighs  the  insult  rather  than  the  injury, 
sheds  its  deadly  venom  on  the  quarrels  of  the 
Arabs  : — an  indecent  action,  a  contemptuous  word, 
can  be  expiated  only  by  the  blood  of  the  offender ; 
and  such  is  their  patient  inveteracy  that  they  ex- 
pect whole  months  and  years  the  opportunity  of 
revenge.' " 

VERSE  4.  And  it  was  commanded  them  that  they  should 
not  hurt  the  grass  of  the  earth,  neither  any  green  thing, 
neither  any  tree  ;  but  only  those  men  which  have  not  the 
seal  of  God  in  their  foreheads. 

After  the  death  of  Mohammed,  he  was  succeeded 
in  the  command  by  Abubeker,  A.  D.  632,  who,  as 
soon  as  he  had  fairly  established  his  authority  and 
government,  dispatched  a  circular  letter  to  the 


CHAPTER  IX,   VERSE  4.  019 

Arabian  tribes,  from  which  the  following  is  an  ex- 
tract : — 

" '  When  you  fight  the  battles  of  the  Lord,  acquit 
yourselves  like  men,  without  turning  your  backs ; 
but  let  not  your  victory  be  stained  with  the  blood 
of  women  and  children.  Destroy  no  palm-trees, 
nor  burn  any  fields  of  corn.  Cut  down  no  fruit- 
trees,  nor  do  any  mischief  to  cattle,  only  such  as 
you  kill  to  eat.  When  you  make  any  covenant  or 
article,  stand  to  it,  and  be  as  good  as  your  word.  As 
you  go  on,  you  will  find  some  religious  persons  who 
live  retired  in  monasteries,  and  propose  to  them- 
selves to  serve  God  that  way ;  let  them  alone,  and 
neither  kill  them  nor  destroy  their  monasteries;  and 
you  will  find  another  sort  of  people  that  belong  to 
the  synagogue  of  Satan,  who  have  shaven  crowns ; 
be  sure  you  cleave  their  skulls,  and  give  them  no 
quarter  till  they  either  turn  Mohammedans 'or  pay 
tribute.' 

"  It  is  not  said  in  prophecy  or  in  history  that  the 
more  humane  injunctions  were  %s  scrupulously 
obeyed  as  the  ferocious  mandate.  But  it  was  so 
commanded  them.  And  the  preceding  are  the  only 
instructions  recorded  by  Gibbon,  as  given  by  Abu- 
beker  to  the  chiefs  whose  duty  it  was  to  issue  the 
commands  to  all  the  Saracen  hosts.  The  commands 
are  alike  discriminating  with  the  prediction ;  as  if 
the  caliph  himself  had  been  acting  in  known,  as 
well  as  direct,  obedience  to  a  higher  mandate  than 
that  of  mortal  man — and  in  the  very  act  of  going 
forth  to  fight  against  the  religion  of  Jesus,  and  to 


620  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

propagate  Mohammedanism  in  its  stead,  he  repeated 
the  words  which  it  was  foretold  in  the  Revelation 
of  Jesus  Christ  that  he  would  say." 

The  Seal  of  God  in  their  Foreheads.  In  remarks 
upon  chapter  7 :  1-3,  we  have  shown  that  the  seal 
of  God  is  the  Sabbath  of  the  fourth  commandment. 
And  history  is  not  silent  upon  the  fact  that  there 
have  been  observers  of  the  true  Sabbath  all  through 
the  present  dispensation.  But  the  question  has  here 
arisen  with  many,  Who  were  those  men  which,  at 
this  time,  had  the  seal  of  God  in  their  foreheads, 
and  who  thereby  became  exempt  from  Mohammed- 
an oppression?  Let  the  reader  bear  in  mind  the 
fact  already  alluded  to,  that  there  have  been  those 
all  through  this  dispensation,  who  have  had  the  seal 
of  God  in  their  foreheads,  or  have  been  intelligent 
observers  of  the  true  Sabbath ;  and  let  him  consider 
further  that  what  the  prophecy  asserts  is  that  the 
attacks  of  this  desolating  Turkish  power  are  not 
directed  against  them,  but  against  another  class. 
The  subject  is  Jhus  freed  from  all  difficulty;  for 
this  is  all  that  the  prophecy  really  asserts.  Only 
one  class  of  persons  is  directly  brought  to  view  in 
the  text ;  namely,  those  who  have  not  the  seal  of 
God  in  their  foreheads;  and  the  preservation  of 
those  who  have  the  seal  of  God  is  brought  in  only 
by  implication.  Accordingly,  we  do  not  learn  from 
history  that  any  of  these  were  involved  in  any  of 
the  calamities  inflicted  by  the  Saracens  upon  the 
objects  of  their  hate.  They  were  commissioned 
against  another  class  of  men.  And  the  destruction 


CHAPTER  IX,    VERSE  4.  621 

to  come  upon  this  class  of  men  is  not  put  in  contrast 
with  the  preservation  of  other  men,  bit  only  with 
that  of  the  fruits  and  verdure  of  the  earth;  thus, 
hurt  not  the  grass,  trees,  nor  any  green  thing,  but 
only  a  certain  class  of  men.  And  in  fulfillment,  we 
have  the  strange  spectacle  of  an  army  of  invaders 
sparing  those  things  which  such  armies  usually 
destroy,  namely,  the  face  and  productions  of  nature, 
and,  in  pursuance  of  their  permission  to  hurt  those 
men  who  had  not  the  seal  of  God  in  their  foreheads, 
cleaving  the  skulls  of  a  class  of  religionists  with 
shaven  crowns,  who  belonged  to  the  synagogue  of 
Satan. 

These  were  doubtless  a  class  of  monks,  or  some 
other  division  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church. 
Against  these  the  arms  of  the  Mohammedans  were 
directed.  And  it  seems  to  us  that  there  is  a  pecul- 
iar fitness,  if  not  design,  in  describing  them  as  those 
who  had  not  the  seal  of  God  in  their  foreheads,  in- 
asmuch as  that  is  the  very  church  which  has  robbed 
the  law  of  God  of  its  seal,  by  tearing  away  the  true 
Sabbath,  and  erecting  a  counterfeit  in  its  place. 
And  we  do  not  understand,  either  from  the  prophe- 
cy or  from  history,  that  those  persons  whom  Abu- 
beker  charged  his  followers  not  to  molest  were  in 
possession  of  the  seal  of  God,  or  necessarily  consti- 
tuted the  people  of  God.  Who  they  were,  and  for 
what  reason  they  were  spared,  the  meager  testi- 
mony of  Gibbon  does  not  inform  us,  and  we  have 
no  other  means  of  knowing.  But  we  have  every 
reason  to  believe  that  none  of  those  who  had  the 


622  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

seal  of  God  were  molested,  while  another  class,  who 
emphatically  had  it  not,  were  put  to  the  sword. 
And  thus  the  specifications  of  the  prophecy  are 
amply  met. 

VERSE  5.  And  to  them  ijb  was  given  that  they  should  not 
kill  them,  but  that  they  should  be  tormented  five  months ; 
and  their  torment  was  as  the  torment  of  a  scorpion  when  he 
striketh  a  man. 

"  Their  constant  incursions  into  the  Roman  ter- 
ritory, and  frequent  assaults  on  Constantinople 
itself,  were  an  unceasing  torment  throughout  the 
empire,  which  yet  they  were  not  able  effectually  to 
subdue,  notwithstanding  the  long  period,  afterward 
more  directly  alluded  to,  during  which  they  con- 
tinued, by  unremitting  attacks,  grievously  to  afflict 
an  idolatrous  church,  of  which  the  pope  was  the 
head.  Their  charge  was  to  torment,  and  then  to 
hurt,  but  not  to  kill,  or  utterly  destroy.  The  mar- 
vel was  that  they  did  not."  In  reference  to  the  five 
months,  see  on  verse  10. 

YERSE  6.  And  in  those  days  shall  men  seek  death,  and 
shall  not  find  it ;  and  shall  desire  to  die,  and  death  shall  flee 
from  them. 

"  Men  were  weary  of  life,  when  life  was  spared 
only  for  a  renewal  of  woe,  and  when  all  that  they 
accounted  sacred  was  violated,  and  all  that  they 
held  dear  constantly  endangered,  and  the  savage 
Saracens  domineered  over  them,  or  left  them  only 
to  a  momentary  repose,  ever  liable  to  be  suddenly 
or  violently  interrupted,  as  if  by  the  sting  of  a 
scorpion." 


CHAJ'TEM  IX,   VfiKSES  7,  8.  (5£3 

VERSE  7.  And  the  shapes  of  the  locusts  were  like  unto 
horses  prepared  unto  battle  ;  and  on  their  heads  were,  as  it 
were,  crowns  like  gold,  and  their  faces  were  as  the  faces  of 
men. 

"The  Arabian  horse  takes  the  lead  throughout, 
the  world ;  and  skill  in  horsemanship  is  the  art  and 
science  of  Arabia.  And  the  barbed  Arabs,  swift  ay 
locusts  and  armed  like  scorpions,  ready  to  dart  away 
in  a  moment,  were  ever  prepared  unto  battle. 

"And  on  their  heads  were,  as  it  were,  crowns  like 
gold.  When  Mohammed  entered  Medina  (A.  D.  622), 
and  was  first  received  as  its  prince,  '  a  turban  was 
unfurled  before  him  to  supply  the  deficiency  of  a 
standard.'  The  turbans  of  the  Saracens,  like  unto 
a  coronet,  were  their  ornament  and  their  boast.  The 
rich  booty  abundantly  supplied  and  frequently  re- 
newed them.  To  assume  the  turban,  is  proverbially 
to  turn  Mussulman.  And  the  Arabs  were  anciently 
distinguished  by  the  mitres  which  they  wore. 

"And  their  faces  were  as  the  faces  of  men.  'The 
gravity  and  firmness  of  the  mind  of  the  Arab  is 
conspicuous  in  his  outward  demeanor, — his  only 
gesture  is  that  of  stroking  his  beard,  the  venerable 
symbol  of  manhood/  '  The  honor  of  their  beards  is 
most  easily  wounded.' " 

VERSE  8.  And  they  had  hair  as  the  hair  of  women,  and 
their  teeth  were  as  the  teeth  of  lions. 

"  Long  hair"  is  esteemed  an  ornament  by  women. 
The  Arabs,  unlike  to  other  men,  had  their  hair  as 
the  hair  of  women,  or  uncut,  as  their  practice  is 
recorded  by  Pliny  and  others.  But  there  was  nothing 


(524  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

effeminate  in  their  character ;  for,  as  denoting  their 
ferocity  and  strength  to  devour,  their  teeth  were  as 
the  teeth  of  lions. 

VERSE  9.  And  they  had  breastplates,  as  it  were  breast- 
plates of  iron ;  and  the  sound  of  their  wings  was  as  the 
sound  of  chariots  of  many  horses  running  to  battle. 

The  Breastplate.  "The  cuirass  (or  breastplate) 
was  in  use  among  the  Arabs  in  the  days  of  Moham- 
med. In  the  battle  of  Ohud  (the  second  which  Mo- 
hammed fought)  with  the  Koreish  of  Mecca  (A.  D. 
624),  'seven  hundred  of  them  were  armed  with 
cuirasses.' " 

The  Sound  of  their  Wings.  "  The  charge  of  the 
Arabs  was  not  like  that  of  the  Greeks  and  Romans, 
the  efforts  of  a  firm  and  compact  infantry  :  their 
military  force  was  chiefly  formed  of  cavalry  and 
archers.  With  a  touch  of  the  hand,  the  Arab  horses 
darted  away  with  the  swiftness  of  the  wind.  The 
sound  of  their  wings  was  as  the  sound  of  chariots 
of  many  horses  running  to  battle.  Their  conquests 
were  marvelous,  both  in  rapidity  and  extent,  and 
their  attack  was  instantaneous.  Nor  was  it  less 
successful  against  the  Romans  than  the  Persians. 

VERSE  10.  And  they  had  tails  like  unto  scorpions,  and 
there  were  stings  in  their  tails  :  and  their  power  was  to  hurt 
men  five  months.  11.  And  they  had  a  king  over  them, 
which  is  the  angel  of  the  bottomless  pit,  whose  name  in  the 
Hebrew  tongue  is  Abaddon,  but  in  the  Greek  tongue  hath 
his  name  Apollyon. 

Thus  far  Keith  has  furnished  us  with  illustra- 
tions of  the  sounding  of  the  first  five  trumpets.  But 


CHAPTER  IX,   VERSES  10,  11.  625 

we  must  now  take  leave  of  him,  and  proceed  to  the 
application  of  the  new  feature  of  the  prophecy  here 
introduced,  namely,  the  prophetic  periods. 

Their  Power  was  to  Hurt  Men  Five  Months.  1. 
The  question  arises,  What  men  were  they  to  hurt 
five  months  ?  Undoubtedly,  the  same  they  were 
afterward  to  slay  (see  verse  15);  "the  third  part 
of  men,"  or  third  of  the  Roman  empire, — the  Greek 
division  of  it. 

2.  When  were  they  to  begin  their  work  of  tor- 
ment ?  The  llth  verse  answers  the  question : — 

1.  "They  had  a  king  over  them."     From   the 
death  of  Mohammed  until  near  the  close  of  the  13th 
century,  the  Mohammedans  were  divided  into  vari- 
ous factions,  under  several  leaders,  with  no  general 
civil  government  extending  over  them  all.     Near 
the  close  of  the  13th  century,  Othman  founded  a 
government,  which  has  since  been  known  as  the 
Ottoman  government,  or  empire,  extending  over  all 
the   principal   Mohammedan    tribes,   consolidating 
them  into  one  grand  monarchy. 

2.  The  character  of   the   king.     "Which  is  the 
angel  of  the  bottomless  pit."     An  angel  signifies  a 
messenger,   or   minister,  either   good   or  bad;  not 
always  a  spiritual  being.     "  The  angel  of  the  bot- 
tomless pit,"  or  chief  minister  of  the  religion  which 
came  from  thence  when  it  was  opened.     That  re- 
ligion is  Mohammedanism,  and  the    Sultan   is  its 
chief  minister.     "  The  Sultan,  or  Grand  Signior,  as 
he  is  indifferently  called,  is  also  Supreme  Caliph,  or 

high  priest,  uniting  in  his  person  the  highest  spirit- 
40 


626  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  BEVELATION. 

ual  dignity  with  the  supreme  secular  authority." — 
World  as  It  Is,  p.  361. 

3.  His  name.  In  Hebrew,  "Abaddon,"  the  de- 
stroyer; in  Greek,  "Apollyon,"  one  that  extermi- 
nates or  destroys.  Having  two  different  names  in 
two  languages,  it  is  evident  that  the  character, 
rather  than  the  name  of  the  power,  is  intended  to 
be  represented.  If  so,  in  both  languages  he  is  a 
destroyer.  Such  has  always  been  the  character  of 
the  Ottoman  government. 

But  when  did  Othman  make  his  first  assault  on 
the  Greek  empire  ?  According  to  Gibbon  ("  De- 
cline and  Fall,"  etc.),  "  Othman  first  entered  the  ter- 
ritory of  Nicomedia  on  the  27th  day  of  July,  1299." 

The  calculations  of  some  writers  have  gone  upon 
the  supposition  that  the  period  should  begin  with 
the  foundation  of  the  Ottoman  empire  ;  but  this  is 
evidently  an  error ;  for  they  not  only  were  to  have 
a  king  over  them,  but  were  to  torment  men  five 
months.  But  the  period  of  torment  could  not  begin 
before  the  first  attack  of  the  tormentors,  which  was 
as  above,  July  27,  1299. 

The  calculation  which  follows,  founded  on  this 
starting  point,  was  made  and  published  in  a  work 
entitled,  "  Christ's  Second  Coming,"  etci,  by  J. 
Litch,  in  1838. 

"  And  their  power  was  to  hurt  men  five  months." 
Thus  far  their  commission  extended,  to  torment,  by 
constant  depredations,  but  not  politically  to  kill 
them.  "Five  months,"  thirty  days  to  a  month,  give 
us  one  hundred  and  fifty  days;  and  these  being 


CHAPTER  IX,   VERSES  12-15.  627 

prophetic,  signify  one  hundred  and  fifty  years. 
Commencing  July  27,  1299,  the  one  hundred  and 
fifty  years  reach  to  1449.  During  that  whole  pe- 
riod the  Turks  were  engaged  in  an  almost  perpet- 
ual warfare  with  the  Greek  empire,  but  yet  without 
conquering  it.  They  seized  upon  and  held  several 
of  the  Greek  provinces,  but  still  Greek  independ- 
ence was  maintained  in  Constantinople.  But  in 
1449,  the  termination  of  the  one  hundred  and  fifty 
years,  a  change  came,  the  history  of  which  will  be 
found  under  the  succeeding  trumpet. 

VERSE  12.  One  woe  is  past ;  and,  behold,  there  coine  two 
woes  more  hereafter.  13.  And  the  sixth  angel  sounded, 
and  I  heard  a  voice  from  the  four  horns  of  the  golden  altar 
which  is  before  God,  14,  Saying  to  the  sixth  angel  which  had 
the  trumpet,  Loose  the  four  angels  which  are  bound  in  the 
great  river  Euphrates.  15.  And  the  four  angels  were  loosed, 
which  were  prepared  for  an  hour,  and  a  day,  and  a  month, 
and  a  year,  for  to  slay  the  third  part  of  men. 

The  first  woe  was  to  continue  from  the  rise  of 
Mohammedanism  until  the  end  of  the  five  months. 
Then  the  first  woe  was  to  end,  and  the  second  to 
begin.  And  when  the  sixth  angel  sounded,  it  was 
commanded  to  take  off  the  restraints  which  had 
been  imposed  on  the  nation,  by  which  they  were 
restricted  to  the  work  of  tormenting  men,  and  their 
commission  was  enlarged  so  as  to  permit  them  to 
slay  the  third  part  of  men.  This  command  came 
from  the  four  horns  of  the  golden  altar. 

The  Four  Angels.  These  were  the  four  principal 
sultanies  of  which  the  Ottoman  empire  was  com- 


628  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

posed,  located  in  the  country  watered  by  the  great 
river  Euphrates.  These  sultanies  were  situated  at 
Aleppo,  Iconium,  Damascus,  and  Bagdad.  Previ- 
ously they  had  been  restrained ;  but  God  command- 
ed, and  they  were  loosed. 

In  the  year  1449,  John  Palaeologus,  the  Greek  em- 
peror, died,  but  left  no  children  to  inherit  his  throne, 
and  Constantine,  his  brother,  succeeded  to  it.*  But 
he  would  not  venture  to  ascend  the  throne  without 
the  consent  of  Amurath,  the  Turkish  Sultan.  He 
therefore  sent  ambassadors  to  ask  his  consent,  and 
obtained  it,  before  he  presumed  to  call  himself  sov- 
ereign. 

Let  this  historical  fact  be  carefully  examined  in 
connection  with  the  prediction  above.  This  was 
not  a  violent  assault  made  on  the  Greeks,  by  which 
their  empire  was  overthrown  and  their  independ- 
ence taken  away,  but  simply  a  voluntary  surrender 
of  that  independence  into  the  hands  of  the  Turks, 
by  saying,  "  I  cannot  reign  unless  you  permit." 

The  four  angels  were  loosed  for  an  hour,  a  day,  a 
month,  and  a  year,  to  slay  the  third  part  of  men. 
This  period  amounts  to  three  hundred  and  ninety- 
one  years  and  fifteen  days ;  during  which  Ottoman 
supremacy  was  to  exist  in  Constantinople.  Thus: 
A  prophetic  year  is  three  hundred  and  sixty  pro- 
phetic days,  or  three  hundred  and  sixty  literal  years; 
a  prophetic  month,  thirty  prophetic  days,  is  thirty 

*Some  historians  have  given  this  date  as  1448,  but  the  best 
authorities  sustain  the  date  here  given,  1449.  See  Chamber's  En- 
cyclopedia, art.,  Palaeologus. 


CHAPTER  IX,   VERSE  16.  (J29 

literal  years ;  one  prophetic  day,  is  one  literal  year; 
and  an  hour,  or  the  twenty-fourth  part  of  a  prophetic 
day,  would  be  a  twenty-fourth  part  of  a  literal 
year,  or  fifteen  days ;  the  whole  amounting  to  three 
hundred  and  ninety-one  years  and  fifteen  days. 

But  although  the  four  angels  were  thus  loosed  by 
the  voluntary  submission  of  the  Greeks,  yet  another 
doom  awaited  the  seat  of  empire.  Amurath,  the 
Sultan  to  whom  the  submission  of  Constantino  XII. 
was  made,  and  by  whose  permission  he  reigned  in 
Constantinople,  soon  after  died  and  was  succeeded 
in  the  empire,  in  1451,  by  Mohammed  II.,  who  set 
his  heart  on  Constantinople,  and  determined  to 
make  it  a  prey.  He  accordingly  made  preparations 
for  besieging  and  taking  the  city.  The  siege  com- 
menced on  the  6th  of  April,  1453,  and  ended  in  the 
taking  of  the  city,  and  the  death  of  the  last  of  the 
Constan tines,  on  the  16th  day  of  May  following. 
And  the  eastern  city  of  the  Caesars  became  the  seat 
of  the  Ottoman  empire. 

The  arms  and  mode  of  warfare  which  were  used 
in  the  siege  in  which  Constantinople  was  to  be  over- 
thrown and  held  in  subjection,  were,  as  we  shall  see, 
distinctly  noticed  by  the  Revelator. 

VERSE  16.  And  the  number  of  the  army  of  the  horsemen 
were  two  hundred  thousand  thousand  ;  and  I  heard  the  num- 
ber of  them. 

Innumerable  hordes  of  horses  and  them  that  sat 
on  them.  Gibbon  describes  the  first  invasion  of  the 
Roman  territories  by  the  Turks,  thus :  "  The  myri- 
ads of  Turkish  horse  overspread  a  frontier  of  six 


630  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

hundred  miles  from  Tauris  to  Azeroum,  and  the 
blood  of  130,000  Christians  was  a  grateful  sacrifice 
to  the  Arabian  Prophet."  Whether  the  number  is 
designed  to  convey  the  idea  of  any  definite  number, 
the  reader  must  judge.  Some  suppose  200,000  twice 
told  is  meant,  and,  following  some  historians,  they 
find  that  number  of  Turkish  warriors  in  the  siege 
of  Constantinople.  Some  think  200,000,000  to  mean 
all  the  Turkish  warriors  during  the  391  years  and 
fifteen  days  of  their  triumph  over  the  Greeks.  This 
appears  the  most  likely.  But  as  it  cannot  be  ascer- 
tained whether  that  is  the  fact  or  not,  nothing  can 
be  affirmed  on  the  point. 

YERSE  17.  And  thus  I  saw  the  horses  in  the  vision,  and 
them  that  sat  on  them,  having  breastplates  of  fire,  and  of 
jacinth,  and  brimstone  ;  and  the  heads  of  the  horses  were  as 
the  heads  of  lions ;  and  out  of  their  mouths  issued  fire  and 
smoke  and  brimstone. 

The  first  part  of  this  description  may  have  refer- 
ence to  the  appearance  of  these  horsemen.  Fire,  rep- 
resenting a  color,  stands  for  red — "  as  red  as  fire"  be- 
ing a  frequent  form  of  expression ;  jacinth,  or  hya- 
cinth, for  blue ;  and  brimstone  for  yellow ;  and  these 
colors  greatly  predominated  in  the  dress  of  these  war- 
riors ;  so  that  the  description,  according  to  this  view, 
would  be  accurately  met  in  the  Turkish  uniform, 
which  was  composed  largely  of  red  or  scarlet,  blue 
and  yellow.  The  heads  of  the  horses  were,  in  appear- 
ance, as  the  heads  of  lions,  to  denote  their  strength, 
courage,  and  fierceness.  While  the  last  part  of  the 
verse  undoubtedly  has  reference  to  the  use  of  gun- 


CHAPTER  IX,   VERSES  18,  19.  631 

powder  and  fire-arms  for  purposes  of  war,  which 
were  then  but  recently  introduced.  As  the  Turks 
discharged  their  fire-arms  on  horseback,  it  would 
appear  to  the  distant  beholder  that  the  fire,  smoke, 
and  brimstone,  issued  out  of  the  horses'  mouths,  as 
illustrated  by  plate  facing  p.  612.* 

VERSE  18.  By  these  three  was  the  third  part  of  men 
killed,  by  the  £re,  and  by  the  smoke,  and  by  the  brimstone, 
which  issued  out  of  their  mouths.  19.  For  their  power  is 
in  their  mouth,  and  in  their  tails ;  for  their  tails  were  like 
unto  serpents,  and  had  heads,  and  with  them  they  do  hurt. 

These  verses  express  the  deadly  effect  of  the  new 
mode  of  warfare  introduced.  It  was  by  means  of 
these  agents,  gunpowder,  fire-arms  and  cannon,  that 
Constantinople  was  finally  overcome  and  given  into 
the  hands  of  the  Turks. 

*  Quite  an  agreement  exists  among  commentators  in  applying 
the  prophecy  concerning  the  fire,  smoke,  and  brimstone,  to  the  use 
of  gunpowder  by  the  Turks  in  their  warfare  against  the  Eastern 
Empire.  See  Clarke,  Barnes,  Elliot,  Cottage  Bible,  etc.  But  they 
generally  allude  simply  to  the  heavy  ordnance,  the  large  cannon, 
employed  by  that  power;  whereas  the  prophecy  mentions  esper'!al- 
ly  the  "horses"  and  the  fire  "issuing  from  their  mouths,"  as 
though  smaller  arms  were  used,  and  used  on  horseback.  Barnes 
thinks  this  was  the  case ;  and  a  statement  from  Gibbon  confirms 
this  view.  He  says  (iv.,  343):  "The  incessant  volleys  of  lances 
and  arrows  were  accompanied  with  the  smoke,  the  sound,  and  the 
fire,  of  their  musketry  and  cannon."  Here  is  good  historical  evi- 
dence that  muskets  were  used  by  the  Turks;  and,  secondly,  it  is 
undisputed  that  in  their  general  warfare  they  fought  principally 
on  horseback.  The  inference  is  therefore  well  supported  that 
they  used  fire-arms  on  horseback,  accurately  fulfilling  the  prophe- 
cy, according  to  the  illustration  above  referred  to. 


632  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

In  addition  to  the  fire,  smoke,  and  brimstone, 
which  apparently  issued  out  of  their  mouths,  it  is 
said  that  their  power  was  also  in  their  tails.  It  is 
a  remarkable  fact  that  the  horse's  tail  is  a  well- 
known  Turkish  standard,  a  symbol  of  office  and 
authority.  The  meaning  of  the  expression  would 
seem  to  be,  that  their  tails  were  the  symbol  or  em- 
blem of  their  authority.  The  image  before  the 
mind  of  John  would  seem  to  have  been  that  he  saw 
the  horses  belching  out  fire  and  smoke,  and,  what 
was  equally  strange,  he  saw  that  their  power  of 
spreading  desolation  was  connected  with  the  tails 
of  the  horses.  Any  one  looking  on  a  body  of  cav- 
alry with  such  banners  or  ensigns,  would  be  struck 
with  this  unusual  or  remarkable  appearance,  and 
would  speak  of  their  banners  as  concentrating  and 
directing  their  power. 

This  supremacy  of  the  Mohammedans  over  the 
Greeks  was  to  continue,  as  already  noticed,  three 
hundred  and  ninety-one  years  and  fifteen  days. 
Commencing  when  the  one  hundred  and  fifty  years 
ended,  July  27,  1449,  the  period  would  end  August 
11,  1840.  Judging  from  the  manner  of  the  com- 
mencement of  the  Ottoman  supremacy,  that  it  was 
by  a  voluntary  acknowledgment  on  the  part  of  the 
Greek  emperor  that  he  only  reigned  by  permission 
of  the  Turkish  Sultan,  we  should  naturally  conclude 
that  the  fall  or  departure  of  the  Ottoman  independ- 
ence would  be  brought  about  in  the  same  way; 
that  at  the  end  of  the  specified  period,  the  Sultan 
would  voluntarily  surrender  his  independence  into 


CHAPTER  IX,    VERSES  18,  19.  ^33 

the  hands  of  the  Christian  powers,  from  whom  he 
received  it. 

When  the  foregoing  calculation  was  made  by 
Elder  J.  Litch  in  1838,  it  was  purely  a  matter  of 
calculation  on  the  prophetic  periods  of  Scripture. 
Now,  however,  the  time  is  passed  by,  and  it  is 
proper  to  inquire,  what  the  result  has  been — 
whether  such  events  transpired  according  to  the 
previous  calculation. 

When  Did  Mohammedan  Independence  in  Con- 
stantinople Depart?  For  several  years  previous 
to  1840,  the  Sultan  had  been  embroiled  in  war  with 
Mehemet  Ali,  Pacha  of  Egypt.  In  1838  there  was 
a  threatening  of  war  between  the  Sultan  and  his 
Egyptian  vassal,  which  was  for  the  time  being  re- 
strained by  the  influence  of  the  foreign  ambassa- 
dors. In  1839,  however,  hostilities  were  again 
commenced,  and  were  prosecuted  until,  in  a  general 
battle  between  the  armies  of  the  Sultan  and  Me- 
hemet, the  Sultan's  army  was  entirely  cut  up  and  de- 
stroyed, and  his  fleet  taken  by  Mehemet  and  carried 
into  Egypt.  So  completely  had  the  Sultan's  fleet 
been  reduced,  that,  when  the  war  again  commenced 
in  August  he  had  only  two  first-rates  and  three 
frigates,  as  the  sad  remains  of  the  once  powerful 
Turkish  fleet.  This  fleet  Mehemet  positively  refused 
to  give  up  and  return  to  the  Sultan,  and  declared 
that  if  the  powers  attempted  to  take  it  from  him, 
he  would  burn  it.  In  this  posture  affairs  stood, 
when,  in  1840,  England,  Russia,  Austria  and  Prus- 
sia, interposed,  and  determined  on  a  settlement  of 


634  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

the  difficulty ;  for  it  was  evident,  if  let  alone,  Me- 
hemet  would  soon  become  master  of  the  Sultan's 
throne. 

The  Sultan  accepted  this  intervention  of  the 
great  powers,  and  thus  made  a  voluntary  surrender 
of  the  question  into  their  hands.  A  conference  of 
these  powers  was  held  in  London,  Sheikh  Effend- 
endi,  the  Ottoman  Plenipotentiary,  being  present. 
At  this  conference  an  ultimatum  was  drawn  up  to 
be  presented  to  the  Pacha  of  Egypt,  whereby  the 
Sultan  was  to  offer  him  the  hereditary  government 
of  Egypt,  and  all  that  part  of  Syria  extending  from 
the  gulf  of  Suez  to  the  lake  of  Tiberias,  together 
with  the  province  of  Acre,  for  life ;  he,  on  his  part, 
to  evacuate  all  other  parts  of  the  Sultan's  domin- 
ions then  occupied  by  him,  and  to  return  the  Otto- 
man fleet.  In  case  he  refused  this  offer  from  the 
Sultan,  the  four  powers  were  to  take  the  matter 
into  their  own  hands,  and  use  such  other  means  to 
bring  him  to  terms  as  they  should  see  fit. 

It  is  apparent  that  just  as  soon  as  this  ultimatum 
should  be  put  by  the  Sultan  into  the  hands  of  Me- 
hemet  Ali,  the  matter  would  be  forever  beyond  the 
control  of  the  former,  and  the  disposal  of  his  affairs 
would,  from  that  moment,  be  in  the  hands  of  foreign 
powers.  The  Sultan  dispatched  Rifat  Bey  on  a 
government  steamer  to  Alexandria  to  communicate 
the  ultimatum  to  the  Pacha.  It  was  put  into  his 
hands  and  by  him  taken  in  charge,  on  the  eleventh 
day  of  August,  1840.  On  the  same  day  a  note  was 
addressed  by  the  Sultan  to  the  ambassadors  of  the 


CHAPTER  IX,   VERSES  20,  21.  635 

four  powers,  inquiring  what  plan  was  to  be  adopted 
in  case  the  Pacha  should  refuse  to  comply  with  the 
terms  of  the  ultimatum ;  to  which  they  made  answer 
that  provision  had  been  made,  and  there  was  no 
necessity  of  his  alarming  himself  about  any  con- 
tingency that  might  arise.  This  day  the  period  of 
three  hundred  and  ninety-one  years  and  fifteen  days 
allotted  to  the  continuance  of  the  Ottoman  power, 
ended ;  and  where  was  the  Sultan's  independence  ? 
Gone  !  Who  had  the  supremacy  of  the  Ottoman 
empire  in  their  hands  ?  The  four  great  powers ; 
and  that  empire  has  existed  ever  since  only  by  the 
sufferance  of  these  Christian  powers.  Thus  was  the 
prophecy  fulfilled  to  the  very  letter. 

From  the  first  publication  of  the  calculation  of 
this  matter  in  1838,  before  referred  to,  the  time  set 
for  the  fulfillment  of  the  prophecy,  August  11, 1840, 
was  watched  by  thousands  with  intense  interest. 
And  the  exact  accomplishment  of  the  event  pre- 
dicted, showing  as  it  did  the  right  application  of 
the  prophecy,  gave  a  mighty  impetus  to  the  great 
Advent  movement,  then  beginning  to  attract  the 
attention  of  the  world. 

VERSE  20.  And  the  rest  of  the  men  which  were  not  killed 
by  these  plagues  yet  repented  not  of  the  works  of  their  hands, 
that  they  should  not  worship  devils,  and  idols  of  gold,  and 
silver,  and  brass,  and  stone,  and  of  wood  ;  which  neither  can 
see,  nor  hear,  nor  walk.  21.  Neither  repented  they  of  their 
murders,  nor  of  their  sorceries,  nor  of  their  fornication,  nor 
of  their  thefts. 

God  designs  that  men  shall  make  a  note  of  his 


636  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

judgments,  and  receive  the  lessons  he  thereby  de- 
signs to  convey.  But  how  slow  are  they  to  learn  ! 
and  how  blind  to  the  indications  of  providence! 
The  events  that  transpired  under  the  sixth  trumpet 
constituted  the  second  woe.  Yet  these  judgments 
led  to  no  improvement  in  the  manners  and  morals 
of  men.  Those  who  escaped  them  learned  nothing 
by  their  manifestation  in  the  earth.  The  worship 
of  devils  (demons,  dead  folks  deified)  and  idols  of 
gold,  silver,  brass,  stone,  and  wood,  may  find  a  ful- 
fillment in  the  saint  worship  and  image  worship  of 
the  Roman  Catholic  church ;  while  of  murders,  sor- 
ceries (pretended  miracles  through  the  agency  of 
departed  saints),  fornications,  and  thefts,  in  coun- 
tries where  the  Roman  religion  has  prevailed,  there 
has  been  no  lack. 

The  hordes  of  Saracens  and  Turks  were  let  loose 
as  a  scourge  and  punishment  upon  apostate  Chris- 
tendom. Men  suffered  the  punishment,  but  learned 
therefrom  no  lesson. 


X. 


THE  PROCLAMATION  OF  THE  ADVENT. 

VERSE  1.  And  I  saw  another  mighty  angel  come  do\vn 
from  heaven,  clothed  with  a  cloud  ;  and  a  rainbow  was  upon 
his  head,  and  his  face  was  as  it  were  the  sun,  and  his  feet  as 
pillars  of  fire  ;  2  ;  And  he  had  in  his  hand  a  little  book  open  ; 
and  he  set  his  right  foot  upon  the  sea,  and  his  left  foot  on 
the  earth. 

A  Parenthetical  Prophecy.  Chapter  9  closed  with 
the  events  of  the  sixth  trumpet.  The  sounding  of 
the  seventh  trumpet  is  not  introduced  till  we  reach 
the  15th  verse  of  chapter  11.  The  whole  of  chapter 
10,  and  a  portion  of  chapter  11,  therefore,  come  in 
parenthetically  between  the  sixth  and  seventh  trum- 
pets. That  which  is  particularly  connected  with 
the  sounding  of  the  sixth  trumpet  is  recorded  in 
chapter  9.  The  prophet  has  other  events  to  intro- 
duce before  the  opening  of  another  trumpet,  and 
takes  occasion  to  do  it  in  the  scripture  which  inter- 
venes to  the  15th  verse  of  chapter  11.  Among 
these  is  the  prophecy  of  chapter  10.  Let  us  first 
look  at  the  chronology  of  the  message  of  this  angel. 

The  Little  Book.  "  He  had  in  his  hand  a  little 
book  open"  There  is  a  necessary  inference  to  be 
drawn  from  this  language,  which  is  that  this  book 

(637) 


638  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

was  at  some  time  closed  up.  We  read  in  Daniel  of 
a  book  which  was  closed  up  and  sealed  to  a  certain 
time.  "  But  thou,  0  Daniel,  shut  up  the  words  and 
seal  the  book,  even  to  the  time  of  the  end ;  many 
shall  run  to  and  fro,  and  knowledge  shall  be  in- 
creased." Dan.  12:  4.  Since  this  book  was  closed  up 
only  till  the  time  of  the  end,  it  follows  that  at  the 
time  of  the  end  the  book  would  be  opened ;  and  as 
its  closing  was  mentioned  in  prophecy,  it  would  be 
but  reasonable  to  expect  that  in  the  predictions  of 
events  to  take  place  at  the  time  of  the  end  the 
opening  of  this  book  would  also  be  mentioned. 
There  is  no  book  spoken  of  as  closed  up  and  sealed 
except  the  book  of  Daniel's  prophecy ;  and  there  is 
no  account  of  the  opening  of  that  book,  unless  it  be 
here  in  the  10th  of  Revelation.  We  see,  further- 
more, that  the  contents  ascribed  to  the  book  in  both 
places,  are  the  same.  The  book  which  Daniel  had 
directions  to  close  up  and  seal  had  reference  to 
time :  "  How  long  shall  it  be  to  the  end  of  these 
wonders?"  And  when  the  angel  of  this  chapter 
comes  down  with  the  little  book  open,  on  which  he 
bases  his  proclamation,  he  gives  a  message  in  rela- 
tion to  time :  "Time  shall  be  no  longer."  Nothing 
more  could  be  required  to  establish  the  identity  of 
these  two  books,  and  to  show  that  the  little  book 
which  the  angel  had  in  his  hand  open,  was  the  book 
of  the  prophecy  of  Daniel. 

An  important  point  is  now  determined  toward 
settling  the  chronology  of  this  angel ;  for  we  have 
seen  that  the  prophecy,  mor$  particularly  the  pro- 


CHAPTER  X,   VERSES  1,  2. 


phetic  periods  of  Daniel,  were  not  to  be  opened  till 
the  time  of  the  end;  and  if  this  is  the  book  which 
the  angel  had  in  his  hand  open,  it  follows  that  he 
proclaims  his  message  this  side  of  the  time  when  the 
book  should  be  opened,  or  somewhere  this  side  of 
the  commencement  of  the  time  of  the  end.  All  that 
now  remains  on  this  point  is  to  ascertain  when  the 
time  of  the  end  commenced ;  and  the  book  of  Daniel 
itself  furnishes  data  from  which  this  can  be  done. 
In  Daniel  11,  from  verse  30,  the  papal  power  is 
brought  to  view.  In  verse  35,  we  read,  "  And  some 
of  them  of  understanding  shall  fall,  to  try  them, 
and  to  purge,  and  make  them  white,  even  to  the  time 
of  the  end!'  Here  is  brought  to  view  the  period  of 
the  supremacy  of  the  little  horn,  during  which  time 
the  saints,  times,  and  laws,  were  to  be  given  into  his 
hand,  and  from  him  suffer  fearful  persecutions.  This 
is  declared  to  reach  to  the  time  of  the  end.  It 
ended  A.  D.  1798,  where  the  12GO  years  of  papal  rule 
expired.  There  the  time  of  the  end  commenced, 
and  the  book  was  opened.  And  since  that  time 
many  have  run  to  and  fro,  and  knowledge  on  these 
prophetic  subjects  has  marvelously  increased. 

The  chronology  of  the  events  of  Rev.  10,  is  fur- 
ther  ascertained  from  the  fact  that  this  angel  is 

O 

identical  with  the  first  angel  of  Rev.  14.  The  points 
of  identity  between  them  are  easily  seen.  1.  They 
both  have  a  special  message  to  proclaim.  2.  They 
both  utter  their  proclamation  with  a  loud  voice. 
3.  They  use  similar  language,  both  referring  to  the 
great  Creator,  as  the  maker  of  heaven  and  earth, 


640 


THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 


the  sea,  and  the  things  that  are  therein.  4.  They 
both  proclaim  time ;  one  swearing  that  time  should 
be  no  more,  and  the  other  proclaiming  that  the  hour 
of  God's  Judgment  has  come.  But  the  message  of 
Rev.  14 :  6,  is  located  this  side  of  the  commence- 
ment of  the  time  of  the  end.  It  is  a  proclamation 
of  the  hour  of  God's  Judgment  come,  and  hence 
must  have  its  application  to  the  last  generation. 
Paul  did  not  preach  the  hour  of  Judgment  come. 
Luther  and  his  coadjutors  did  not  preach  it.  Paul 
reasoned  of  a  Judgment  to  come,  indefinitely  future; 
and  Luther  placed  it  at  least  three  hundred  years 
off  from  his  day.  Moreover  Paul  warned  the  church 
against  any  such  preaching  as  that  the  hour  of 
God's  Judgment  has  come,  until  a  certain  time.  In 
2  Thess.  2:  1-3,  he  says:  "Now  we  beseech  you, 
brethren,  by  the  coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
and  by  our  gathering  together  unto  him,  that  ye  be 
not  soon  shaken  in  mind,  or  be  troubled,  neither  by 
spirit  nor  by  word,  nor  by  letter  as  from  us,  as  that 
the  day  of  Christ  is  at  hand.  Let  no  man  deceive 
you  by  any  means;  for  that  day  shall  not  come 
except  there  come  a  falling  away  first,  and  that 
man  of  sin  be  revealed,  the  son  of  perdition,"  etc. 
Here  Paul  introduces  to  our  view  the  man  of  sin, 
the  little  horn,  the  papacy,  and  covers  with  a  cau- 
tion the  whole  period  of  his  supremacy,  which,  as  al- 
ready noticed,  continued  1260  years,  ending  in  1798. 
In  1798,  therefore,  the  restriction  from  proclaim- 
ing the  day  of  Christ  at  hand,  ceased;  in  1798,  the 
time  of  the  end  commenced,  and  the  seal  was  taken 


CHAPTER  X,   VERSES  5,  £  641 

from  the  little  book.  Since  that  period,  therefore, 
the  angel  of  Rev.  14,  goes  forth  proclaiming  the 
hour  of  God's  Judgment  come,  and  since  that  time, 
too,  the  angel  of  chapter  10  takes  his  stand  on  sea 
and  land,  and  swears  that  time  shall  be  no  more. 
Of  their  identity  there  can  now  be  no  question  ;  and 
all  the  arguments  which  go  to  locate  the  one,  are 
equally  effective  in  the  case  of  the  other.  We  need 
not  enter  into  any  argument  here  to  show  that  the 
present  generation  has  witnessed  the  fulfillment  of 
these  two  prophecies.  In  the  preaching  of  the  advent, 
more  especially  from  1840  to  1844,  they  met  a  full 
and  circumstantial  accomplishment.  The  position 
of  this  angel,  one  foot  upon  the  sea,  and  the  other 
on  the  land,  denotes  the  wide  extent  of  his  procla- 
mation by  sea  and  by  land.  Had  this  message  been 
designed  for  only  one  country,  it  would  have  been 
sufficient  for  the  angel  to  take  his  position  on  the 
land  only.  But  he  has  one  foot  upon  the  sea ;  from 
which  we  may  infer  that  his  message  would  cross 
the  oceans  and  extend  to  the  various  nations  and  di- 
visions of  the  globe.  And  this  inference  is  strength- 
ened by  the  fact  that  the  Advent  proclamation 
above  referred  to,  did  go  to  every  missionary  sta- 
tion in  the  world. 

YEESE  3.  And  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  as  when  a  lion 
roareth ;  and  when  he  had  cried,  seven  thunders  uttered 
their  voices.  4.  And  when  the  seven  thunders  had  uttered 
their  voices,  I  was  about  to  write  ;  and  I  heard  a  voice  from 
heaven  saying  unto  me,  Seal  up  those  things  which  the  sev- 
en thunders  uttered,  and  write  them  not. 
41 


642'  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

The  Seven  Thunders.  It  would  be  vain  to  spec- 
ulate to  any  great  length  upon  the  seven  thunders, 
in  hope  of  gaining  a  definite  knowlege  of  what  they 
uttered.  We  must  acquiesce  in  the  directions  given 
to  John  concerning  them  and  leave  them  where  he 
left  them,  sealed  up,  unwritten,  and  consequently 
to  us  unknown.  There  is,  however,  a  conjecture  ex- 
tant in  relation  to  them,  which  may  not  inappro- 
priately be  mentioned  here.  It  is  that  what  the 
seven  thunders  uttered  is  the  experience  of  the  Ad- 
vent people,  embracing  their  sore  disappointment 
and  trial.  Something,  evidently,  was  uttered,  which 
it  would  not  be  well  for  the  church  to  know ;  and 
for  God  to  have  given  an  inspired  record  of  the  Ad- 
vent movement  in  advance,  would  have  been  simply 
to  defeat  that  movement  which  we  verily  believe 
was  in  all  its  particulars  an  accomplishment  of  his 
purposes,  and  according  to  his  will.  Why  then  any 
mention  of  the  seven  thunders  at  all  ?  Following 
out  the  above-noticed  conjecture,  the  conclusion 
would  be,  that  we,  having  met  in  our  history  with 
sudden,  mysterious  and  unexpected  events,  as  start- 
ling and  strange  as  thunders  from  an  unclouded 
sky.  might  not  give  up  in  utter  perplexity,  infer- 
ring, as  we  may,  that  all  is  in  the  order  and  provi- 
dence of  God,  since  something  of  this  nature  was 
sealed  up  and  hidden  from  the  church. 

VERSE  5.  And  the  angel  which  I  saw  stand  upon  the  sea 
and  upon  the  earth  lifted  up  his  hand  to  heaven,  6,  And 
sware  by  him  that  liveth  forever  and  ever,  who  created 
heaven  and  the  things  that  therein  are,  and  the  earth,  and 


CHAPTER  X,    VLKSE  7.  643 

the  things  that  therein  are,  and  the  sea,  and  the  things 
which  are  therein,  that  there  should  be  time  no  longer. 

Time  Shall  be  no  More.  What  is  the  meaning 
of  this  solemn  declaration  ?  It  cannot  mean  that 
with  the  message  of  this  angel,  time,  as  here  com- 
puted, in  comparison  with  eternity,  should  end;  for 
the  next  verse  speaks  of  the  days  of  the  voice  of 
the  seventh  angel ;  and  chapter  11:  15-19,  gives  us 
some  of  the  events  to  take  place  under  this  trum- 
pet, which  transpire  in  the  present  state.  And  it 
cannot  mean  probationary  time ;  for  that  does  not 
cease  till  Christ  closes  his  work  as  priest,  which  is  not 
till  after  the  seventh  angel  has  commenced  to  sound. 
Rev.  11 :  19.  It  must  therefore  mean  prophetic 
time,  for  there  is  no  other  to  which  it  can  refer. 
Prophetic  time  shall  be  no  more;  not  that  time 
should  never  be  used  in  a  prophetic  sense ;  for  the 
"  days  of  the  voice  of  the  seventh  angel,"  spoken  of 
immediately  after,  doubtless  mean  the  years  of  the 
seventh  angel ;  but  no  prophetic  period  should  ex- 
tend beyond  this  message ;  those  that  reach  to  the 
latest  point  should  all  close  there.  Arguments  on 
the  prophetic  periods  to  show  that  the  longest  ones 
did  not  extend  beyond  the  autumn  of  1844,  will  be 
found  in  Thoughts  on  Daniel  8:14. 

YERSE  7.  But  in  the  days  of  the  voice  of  the  seventh  an- 
gel, when  he  shall  begin  to  sound,  the  mystery  of  God  should 
be  finished,  as  he  hath  declared  to  his  servants  the  prophets. 

The  Days  of  the  Voice  of  the  Seventh  Angel.  This 
seventh  trump  is  not  that  which  is  spoken  of  as  the 
last  trump,  in  1  Cor.  15  :  52,  which  wakes  the  sleep- 


644  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

ing  dead ;  but  it  is  the  seventh  of  the  series  of  the 
seven  trumpets,  and  like  the  others  of  the  series, 
occupies  days  [years]  in  sounding.  In  the  days 
when  he  shall  begin  to  sound,  the  mystery  of  God 
shall  be  finished.  Not  in  the  day  when  he  shall 
begin  to  sound,  not  in  the  very  commencement  of 
his  sounding ;  but  in  the  early  years  of  his  sound- 
ing, the  mystery  of  God  shall  be  finished. 

Commencement  of  the  Seventh  Trumpet.  From 
the  events  to  take  place  under  the  sounding  of  the 
seventh  trumpet,  its  commencement  may  be  located 
with  sufficient  definiteness  at  the  close  of  the  pro- 
phetic periods  in  1844.  Not  many  years  from  that 
date,  then,  the  mystery  of  God  is  to  be  finished. 
The  great  event,  whatever  it  is,  is  right  upon  us. 
Some  closing  and  decisive  work,  with  whatever  of 
importance  and  solemnity  it  bears  in  its  train,  is 
near  at  hand.  There  is  an  importance  connected 
with  the  finishing  of  any  of  the  works  of  God. 
Such  an  act  marks  a  solemn  and  important  era. 
Our  Saviour,  when  expiring  upon  the  cross,  cried, 
It  is  finished,  John  19:  30,  and  when  the  great  work 
of  mercy  for  fallen  man  is  completed,  it  will  be  an- 
nounced by  a  voice  from  the  throne  of  God,  pro- 
claiming, in  tones  which  roll  like  thunder  through 
all  the  earth,  the  solemn  sentence,  It  is  done !  Rev. 
16:  17.  It  is  therefore  no  uncalled-for  solicitude 
which  prompts  us  to  inquire  what  bearing  such 
events  have  upon  our  eternal  hopes  and  interests, 
and  when  we  read  of  the  finishing  of  the  mystery 
of  God,  to  ask  what  that  mystery  is,  and  in  what 
its  finishing  consists. 


CHAPTER  X,   VEESE  7.  645 

The  Mystery  of  God.  A  few  direct  testimonies 
from  that  Book  which  has  been  given  as  a  lamp  to 
our  feet,  will  show  what  this  mystery  is.  Eph.  1 : 
9 :  "  Having  made  known  unto  us  the  mystery  of 
his  will,  according  to  his  good  pleasure  which  he 
hath  purposed  in  himself;  that  in  the  dispensation 
of  the  fullness  of  times,  he  might  gather  together 
in  one  all  things  in  Christ,  both  which  are  in  Heav- 
en and  on  earth,  even  in  him."  Here  God's  pur- 
pose to  gather  together  all  into  Christ  is  called  the 
"  mystery  "  of  his  will.  This  is  accomplished  through 
the  gospel.  Eph.  6:  19:  "And  forme  [Paul  asks 
that  prayers  might  be  made]  that  utterance  may 
be  given  unto  me,  that  I  may  open  my  mouth 
boldly  to  make  known  the  mystery  of  the  gospel." 
Here  the  gospel  is  declared  plainly  to  be  a  mystery. 
It  is  called  in  Col.  4 :  3,  the  mystery  of  Christ.  Eph. 
3  :  3,  6.  "  How  that  by  revelation  he  made  known 
unto  me  the  mystery  (as  I  wrote  afore  in  few 
words),"  etc.,  "that  the  Gentiles  should  be  fellow 
heirs  and  of  the  same  body,  and  partakers  of  his 
promise  in  Christ  by  the  gospel."  Paul  here  de- 
clares that  the  mystery  was  made  known  to  him 
by  revelation,  as  he  had  before  written.  In  this  he 
refers  to  his  epistle  to  the  Galatians,  where  he  had 
recorded  what  had  been  given  "  by  revelation,"  in 
these  words :  "  But  I  certify  you,  brethren,  that  the 
gospel  which  was  preached  of  me  is  not  after  man ; 
for  I  neither  received  it  of  man,  neither  was  I 
taught  it,  but  by  the  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ" 
Gal.  1 :  11,  12.  Here  Paul  tells  us  plainly  that  what 


646  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

he  received  through  revelation,  was  the  gospel.  In 
Eph.  3 :  3,  he  calls  it  the  mystery  made  known  to 
him  by  revelation,  as  he  had  written  before.  The 
epistle  to  the  Galatians  was  written  in  A.  D.  58,  and 
that  to  the  Ephesians  in  A.  D.  64. 

In  view  of  these  testimonies,  few  will  be  disposed 
to  deny  that  the  mystery  of  God  is  the  gospel.  It 
is  the  same,  then,  as  if  the  angel  had  declared,  In 
the  days  of  the  voice  of  the  seventh  angel  when  he 
shall  begin  to  sound,  the  gospel  shall  be  finished. 
But  what  is  the  finishing  of  the  gospel  ?  Let  us 
first  inquire  for  what  it  was  given  ?  It  was  given 
to  take  out  from  the  nations  a  people  for  God's 
name.  Acts  15 :  14.  Its  finishing  must,  as  a  matter 
of  course,  be  the  close  of  this  work.  It  will  be 
finished  when  the  number  of  God's  people  is  made 
up,  mercy  ceases  to  be  offered,  and  probation  closes. 

The  subject  is  now  before  us  in  all  its  magnitude. 
Such  is  the  momentous  work  to  be  accomplished  in 
the  early  days  of  the  voice  of  the  seventh  angel, 
whose  trumpet  notes  have  already  been  reverbera- 
ting through  the  world  nearly  forty  years.  God  is 
not  slack;  his  work  is  not  uncertain;  are  we  ready 
for  the  issue  ? 

VERSE  8.  And  the  voice  which  I  heard  from  Heaven 
spake  unto  me  again,  and  said,  Go  and  take  the  little  book 
which  is  open  in  the  hand  of  the  angel  which  standeth  upon 
the  sea  and  upon  the  earth.  9.  And  I  went  unto  the  angel, 
and  said  unto  him,  Give  me  the  little  book.  And  he  said 
unto  me,  Take  it,  and  eat  it  up  ;  and  it  shall  make  thy  belly 
bitter,  but  it  shall  be  in  thy  mouth  sweet  as  honey.  10. 
And  I  took  the  little  book  out  of  the  angel's  hand,  and  ate 


CHAPTER  X,   VERSES  8-10.  647 

it  up ;  and  it  was  in  my  mouth  sweet  as  honey ;  and  as  soon 
as  I  had  eaten  it,  my  belly  was  bitter. 

In  verse  8  John  himself  is  brought  in  to  act  a 
part  as  a  representative  of  the  church,  probably  on 
account  of  the  succeeding  peculiar  experience  of  the 
church  which  the  Lord  of  the  prophecy  would  cause 
to  be  put  on  record,  but  which  could  not  well  be 
presented  under  the  symbol  of  an  angel.  When 
only  a  straightforward  proclamation  is  brought  to 
view,  without  including  the  peculiar  experience 
which  the  church  is  to  pass  through  in  connection 
therewith,  angels  may  be  used  as  symbols  to  repre- 
sent the  religious  teachers  who  proclaim  that  mes- 
sage, as  in  Rev.  14.  But  when  some  particular  expe- 
rience of  the  church  is  to  be  presented,  the  case  is 
manifestly  different.  This  could  most  appropri- 
ately be  set  forth  in  the  person  of  some  member  of 
the  human  family;  hence  John  is  himself  called 
upon  to  act  a  part  in  this  symbolic  representation. 
And  this  being  the  case,  the  angel  who  here  ap- 
peared to  John  may  represent  that  divine  messen- 
ger who,  in  the  order  which  is  observed  in  all  the 
work  of  God,  has  charge  of  this  message;  or  he 
may  be  introduced  for  the  purpose  of  representing 
the  nature  of  the  message  and  the  source  from 
which  it  comes. 

There  are  not  a  few  now  living  who  have  in  their 
own  experience  met  a  striking  fulfillment  of  these 
verses,  in  the  joy  with  which  they  received  the  mes- 
sage of  Christ's  immediate  second  coming,  the  honey- 
like  sweetness  of  the  precious  truths  then  brought 


648  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

out,  and  the  bitterness  and  sorrow  that  followed 
when  the  disappointment,  and  not  the  Lord,  came, 
at  the  appointed  time  in  1844.  A  mistake  had  been 
made  which  apparently  involved  the  integrity  of 
the  little  book  they  had  been  eating.  What  had 
been  so  like  honey  to  their  taste,  suddenly  became 
like  wormwood  and  gall.  But  those  who  had  pa- 
tience to  endure  the  digesting  process,  soon  learned 
that  the  mistake  was  only  in  the  event,  not  in  the 
time,  and  that  what  the  angel  had  given  them  was 
not  unto  death,  but  to  their  nourishment  and  sup- 
port. See  the  same  facts  brought  to  view  under  a 
similar  figure  in  Jer.  15 :  16-18. 

VERSE  11.  And  he  said  unto  me,  Thou  must  prophesy 
again  before  many  peoples,  and  nations,  and  tongues,  and 
kings. 

John,  standing  as  the  representative  of  the  church, 
here  receives  from  the  angel  another  commission. 
Another  message  is  to  go  forth  after  the  time  when 
the  first  and  second  messages,  as  leading  proclama- 
tions, ceased.  In  other  words,  we  have  here  a 
prophecy  of  the  third  angel's  message,  now,  as  we 
believe,  being  fulfilled.  Neither  will  this  work  be 
done  in  a  corner;  for  it  is  to  go  before  "many 
peoples,  and  nations,  and  tongues,  and  kings." 


Cfykptef  XL 


THE    TWO    WITNESSES. 

VERSE  1.  And  there  was  given  me  a  reed  like  unto  a  rod  ; 
and  the  angel  stood,  saying,  Rise,  and  measure  the  temple 
of  God,  and  the  altar,  and  them  that  worship  therein.  2. 
But  the  court  which  is  without  the  temple  leave  out,  and 
measure  it  not ;  for  it  is  given  unto  the  Gentiles  ;  and  the 
holy  city  shall  they  tread  under  foot  forty  and  two  months. 

We  here  have  a  continuation  of  the  instruction 
which  the  angel  commenced  giving  to  John  in  the 
preceding  chapter ;  hence  these  verses  properly  be- 
long to  that  chapter,  and  should  not  be  separated 
by  the  present  division.  In  the  last  verse  of  chap- 
ter 10,  the  angel  gave  to  John,  as  a  representative 
of  the  church,  a  new  commission.  In  other  words, 
as  already  shown,  we  have  in  that  verse  a  prophecy 
of  the  third  angel's  message.  Now  follows  testi- 
mony showing  what  the  nature  of  that  message  is 
to  be.  It  is  connected  with  the  temple  of  God  in 
Heaven,  and  is  designed  to  fit  up  a  class  of  people 
as  worshipers  therein.  The  temple  here  cannot 
mean  the  church ;  for  the  church  is  brought  to  view 
in  connection  with  this  temple  as  "them  that 
worship  therein."  The  temple  is  therefore  the 
literal  temple  in  Heaven,  and  the  worshipers  the 

(649) 


650  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

true  church  on  earth.  But  of  course  these  wor- 
shipers are  not  to  be  measured  in  the  sense  of  ascer- 
taining the  height  and  circumference  of  each  one  in 
feet  and  inches ;  they  are  to  be  measured  as  wor- 
shipers; and  character  can  be  measured  only  by 
some  standard  of  right,  namely,  a  law  or  rule  of 
action.  We  are  thus  brought  to  the  conclusion  that 
the  ten  commandments,  the  standard  which  God 
has  given  by  which  to  measure  "  the  whole  duty  of 
man/'  are  embraced  in  the  measuring  rod  put  by  the 
angel  into  the  hands  of  John ;  and  this  is  the  very 
thing  which,  in  fulfillment,  has  been  put  under  the 
third  message,  into  the  hands  of  the  church.  This 
is  the  standard  by  which  the  worshipers  of  God  are 
now  to  be  tested. 

Having  seen  what  it  is  to  measure  those  who  wor- 
ship at  the  temple,  we  inquire  further,  What  is 
meant  by  measuring  the  temple  ?  To  measure  any 
object,  requires  that  we  give  especial  attention  to 
that  object.  So  doubtless  the  call  to  rise  and  meas- 
ure the  temple  of  God,  is  a  prophetic  command  to 
the  church  to  give  the  subject  of  the  temple  or  sanc- 
tuary a  special  examination.  But  how  is  it  to  be 
measured  with  the  measuring  rod  given  to  the 
church  ?  With  the  ten  commandments  alone  we 
could  not  do  it.  We  do  do  it  with  the  message. 
Hence  we  conclude  that  the  measuring  rod,  taken 
as  a  whole,  is  the  special  message  now  given  to  the 
church,  which  embraces  all  the  truths  peculiar  to 
this  time,  including  the  ten  commandments.  By 
this  message,  our  attention  has  been  called  to  the 


CHAPTER  XI,   VERSE  5.  651 

temple  above,  and  through  it  the  light  and  truth 
on  this  subject  has  come  out.  Thus  we  measure 
the  temple  and  the  altar,  or  the  ministration  con- 
nected with  the  temple,  the  work  and  position  of 
our  great  High  Priest;  and  we  measure  the  wor- 
shipers with  that  portion  of  the  rod  which  relates 
to  character,  namely,  the  ten  commandments. 

"  But  the  court  which  is  without  the  temple  leave 
out."  As  much  as  to  say,  The  attention  of  the 
church  is  now  directed  to  the  inner  temple,  and  the 
service  there.  Matters  pertaining  to  the  court  are 
of  less  consequence  now.  It  is  given  to  the  Gen- 
tiles. That  the  court  refers  to  this  earth  is  proved 
thus  :  The  court  is  the  place  where  the  victims  were 
slain,  whose  blood  was  to  be  administered  in  the 
sanctuary.  The  antitypical  victim  must  die  in  the 
antitypical  court ;  and  he  died  on  Calvary  in  Judea. 
Having  thus  introduced  the  Gentiles,  the  attention 
of  the  prophet  is  directed  to  the  great  feature  of 
Gentile  apostasy,  namely,  the  treading  down  of  the 
holy  city  forty  and  two  months,  during  the  period 
of  papal  supremacy.  He  is  then  directed  to  the 
condition  of  the  word  of  God,  the  truth  and  the 
church  during  that  time.  Thus  by  an  easy  and 
natural  transition,  we  are  carried  back  into  the 
past,  and  our  attention  is  called  to  a  new  series  of 
events. 

VERSE  3.  And  I  will  give  power  unto  my  two  witnesses, 
and  they  shall  prophesy  a  thousand  two  hundred  and  three- 
score days,  clothed  in  sackcloth. 

These  days  are  the  same  as  the  forty-two  months 


652  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

of  the  preceding  verse,  and  refer  to  the  period  of 
papal  triumph.  During  this  time  the  witnesses  are 
in  a  state  of  sackcloth,  or  obscurity,  and  God  gives 
them  power  to  endure  and  maintain  their  testi- 
mony through  that  dark  and  dismal  period.  But 
who  or  what  are  these  witnesses  ? 

VERSE  4.  These  are  the  two  olive  trees,  and  the  two 
candlesticks  standing  before  the  God  of  the  earth. 

Evident  allusion  is  here  made  to  Zech.  4 :  3-6, 
where  it  is  explained  that  the  two  olive  trees  are 
taken  to  represent  the  word  of  God ;  and  David 
testifies,  "  The  entrance  of  thy  words  giveth  light," 
and  "  Thy  word  is  a  lamp  unto  my  feet  and  a  light 
unto  my  path."  Written  testimony  is  stronger 
than  oral.  Jesus  declares  of  the  Old  Testament 
scriptures,  "They  are  they  which  testify  of  me." 
In  this  dispensation  he  says  that  his  works  bear 
witness  of  him.  By  what  means  do  they  bear  wit- 
ness of  him  ?  Ever  since  those  disciples  of  his  who 
were  personally  associated  with  him  while  on  earth, 
passed  off  the  stage  of  life,  his  works  have  borne 
witness  of  him  only  through  the  medium  of  the 
New  Testament,  where  alone  we  find  them  recorded. 
This  gospel  of  the  kingdom,  it  was  once  declared, 
shall  be  preached  in  all  the  world  for  a  witness  to 
all  nations,  etc. 

These  declarations  and  considerations  are  suf- 
ficient to  sustain  the  conclusion  that  the  Old  and 
New  Testaments,  one  given  in  one  dispensation,  and 
the  other  in  the  other,  are  Christ's  two  witnesses. 


CHAPTER  XI,   VEESES  5-7.  653 

VERSE  5.  And  if  any  man  will  hurt  them,  fire  proceedeth 
out  of  their  mouth,  and  devoureth  their  enemies  ;  and  if  any 
man  will  hurt  them,  he  must  in  this  manner  be  killed. 

To  hurt  the  word  of  God  is  to  oppose,  corrupt,  or 
pervert  its  testimony,  and  turn  people  away  from 
it.  Against  those  who  do  this  work,  fire  proceed- 
eth out  of  their  mouth  to  devour  them ;  that  is 
judgment  of  fire  is  denounced  in  that  word  against 
such.  It  declares  that  they  will  have  their  portion 
at  last  in  the  lake  that  burneth  with  fire  and  brim- 
stone. Mai.  4:1;  Rev.  20 :  15;  22 :  18,  19,  etc. 

VERSE  6.  These  have  power  to  shut  heaven,  that  it  rain 
not  in  the  days  of  their  prophecy  ;  and  have  power  over 
waters  to  turn  them  to  blood,  and  to  smite  the  earth  with 
all  plagues  as  often  as  they  will. 

In  what  sense  have  these  witnesses  power  to  shut 
heaven,  turn  waters  to  blood,  and  bring  plagues  on 
the  earth  ?  Elijah  shut  heaven  that  it  rained  not 
for  three  years  and  a  half ;  but  he  did  it  by  the 
word  of  the  Lord.  Moses  by  the  word  of  the  Lord 
turned  the  waters  of  Egypt  to  blood.  And  just  as 
these  judgments,  recorded  in  their  testimony,  have 
been  fulfilled,  so  will  every  threatening  and  judg- 
ment denounced  by  them  against  any  people  surely 
be  accomplished.  "  As  often  as  they  will."  As  often 
as  judgments  are  recorded  on  their  pages  to  tran- 
spire, so  often  they  will  come  to  pass.  An  instance 
of  this  the  world  is  yet  to  experience  in  the  inflic- 
tion of  the  seven  last  plagues. 

VERSE  7.  And  when  they  shall  have  finished  their  testi- 
mony, the  beast  that  ascendeth  out  of  the  bottomless  pit 


654  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

shall  make  war  against  them,  and  shall  overcome  them  and 
kill  them.  8.  And  their  dead  bodies  shall  lie  in  the  street 
of  the  great  city,  which  spiritually  is  called  Sodom  and  Egypt, 
where  also  our  Lord  was  crucified. 

"  When  they  shall  have  finished  their  testimony  " 
— that  is,  "  in  sackcloth ;"  or,  as  the  original  signi- 
fies, when  they  are  "finishing,"  etc.,  just  as  they 
are  coming  to  the  termination  of  their  sackcloth 
state.  A  "  beast,"  in  prophecy,  denotes  a  kingdom 
or  power.  See  Dan.  7  :  17,  23.  The  question  now 
arises,  When  did  the  sackcloth  state  of  the  witnesses 
close  ?  and  did  such  a  kingdom  as  described  make 
war  on  them  at  the  time  spoken  of  ?  If  we  are  cor- 
rect in  fixing  upon  A.  D.  538  as  the  time  of  the  com- 
mencement of  the  sackcloth  state,  forty- two  months 
being  1260  prophetic  days,  or  years,  would  bring  us 
down  to  A.  D.  1798.  About  this  time,  then,  did 
such  a  kingdom  as  described  appear  and  make  war 
on  them,  etc.  ?  Mark !  this  beast,  or  kingdom,  is 
out  of  the  bottomless  pit — no  foundation — an  athe- 
istical power — "spiritually  Egypt."  See  Exodus 
5  :  2,—"  And  Pharaoh  said,  Who  is  the  Lord,  that  I 
should  obey  his  voice  to  let  Israel  go  ?  I  know  not 
the  Lord,  neither  will  I  let  Israel  go."  Here  is  athe- 
ism. Did  any  kingdom  about  1798,  manifest  the 
same  spirit  ?  Yes,  France ;  she  denied  the  being  of 
God  in  her  national  capacity,  and  made  war  on  the 
"Monarchy  of  Heaven." 

"Spiritually"  this  power  "is  called  Sodom." 
What  was  the  characteristic  sin  of  Sodom  ?  Licen- 
tiousness. Did  France  have  this  character  ?  She 


CHAPTER  XI,   VERSE  9.  655 

did — fornication  was  established  by  law  during 
the  period  spoken  of.  "  Spiritually"  the  place  was 
"  where  our  Lord  was  crucified."  Was  this  true  in 
France  ?  It  was,  in  more  senses  than  one.  First, 
in  1572  a  plot  was  laid  in  France  to  destroy  all  the 
pious  Huguenots ;  and  in  one  night,  fifty  thousand 
of  them  were  murdered  in  cold  blood,  and  the  streets 
of  Paris  literally  ran  with  blood.  Thus  our  Lord 
was  "  spiritually  crucified"  in  his  members.  Again, 
the  watchword  and  motto  of  the  French  infidels 
was,  "CRUSH  THE  WRETCH,"  meaning  Christ. 
Thus  it  may  be  truly  said  "where  our  Lord  was 
crucified."  The  very  spirit  of  the  "  bottomless  pit " 
was  poured  out  in  that  wicked  nation. 

But  did  France  "  make  war  "  on  the  Bible  ?  She 
did;  and  in  1793  a  decree  passed  the  French  As- 
sembly, forbidding  the  Bible ;  and  under  that  de- 
cree, the  Bibles  were  gathered  and  burned,  and 
every  possible  mark  of  contempt  heaped  upon  them, 
and  all  the  institutions  of  the  Bible  were  abolished  ; 
the  Sabbath  was  blotted  out,  and  every  tenth  day 
substituted  for  mirth  and  profanity.  Baptism  and 
the  communion  were  abolished.  The  being  of  God 
was  denied :  and  death  pronounced  to  be  an  eternal 
sleep.  The  Goddess  of  Reason  was  set  up,  in  the 
person  of  a  vile  woman,  and  publicly  worshiped. 
Surely  here  is  a  power  that  exactly  answers  the 
prophecy.  But  let  us  examine  this  point  still 
further. 

VERSE  9.  And  they  of  the  people  and  kindreds  and 
tongues  and  nations  shall  see  their  dead  bodies  three  days 


656  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

and  a  half,  and  shall  not  suffer  their  dead  bodies  to  be  put 
in  graves. 

The  language  of  this  verse  denotes  the  feelings 
of  the  nations  besides  the  one  committing  the  out- 
rage on  the  witnesses.  They  would  see  what  war 
infidel  France  had  made  on  the  Bible,  but  would 
not  be  led,  nationally  to  engage  in  the  wicked  work, 
nor  suffer  the  murdered  witnesses  to  be  buried,  or 
put  out  of  sight  among  themselves,  though  they  lay 
dead  three  days  and  a  half,  that  is,  three  years  and 
a  half,  in  France.  No,  this  very  attempt  of  France 
served  to  arouse  Christians  everywhere  to  put  forth 
a  new  exertion  in  behalf  of  the  Bible,  as  we  shall 
presently  see. 

VERSE  10.  And  they  that  dwell  upon  the  earth  shall  re- 
joice over  them,  and  make  merry,  and  shall  send  gifts  one 
to  another;  because  these  two  prophets  tormented  them 
that  dwelt  upon  the  earth. 

This  denotes  the  joy  those  felt  who  hated  the 
Bible,  or  were  tormented  by  it.  Great  was  the  joy 
of  infidels  everywhere  for  awhile.  But  the  "tri- 
umphing of  the  wicked  is  short:"  so  was  it  in 
France ;  for  their  war  on  the  Bible  and  Christianity 
had  well  nigh  swallowed  them  all  up.  They  set 
out  to  destroy  Christ's  "  two  witnesses,"  but  they 
filled  France  with  blood  and  horror,  so  that  they 
were  horror-struck  at  the  result  of  their  own 
wicked  deeds,  and  were  glad  to  remove  their  im- 
pious hands  from  the  Bible. 

VERSE  11.     And  after  three  days  and  a  half  the  Spirit  of 


CHAPTER  XI,    VERSE  12.  657 

life  from  God  entered  into  them,  and  they  stood  upon  their 
feet ;  and  great  fear  fell  upon  them  which  saw  them. 

In  1793,  the  decree  passed  the  French  Assembly- 
suppressing  the  Bible.  Just  three  years  after,  a 
resolution  was  introduced  into  the  Assembly,  going 
to  supersede  the  decree,  and  giving  toleration  to  the 
Scriptures.  That  resolution  lay  on  the  table  six 
months,  when  it  was  taken  up  and  passed  without 
a  dissenting  vote.  Thus,  in  just  three  years  and  a 
half,  the  witnesses  "  stood  upon  their  feet,  and  great 
fear  fell  upon  them  that  saw  them."  Nothing  but 
the  appalling  results  of  the  rejection  of  the  Bible 
could  have  induced  France  to  take  its  hands  off 
these  witnesses. 

VEBSE  12.  And  they  heard  a  great  voice  from  heaven 
saying  unto  them,  Come  up  hither.  And  they  ascended  up 
to  heaven  in  a  cloud  ;  and  their  enemies  beheld  them. 

"  Ascended  up  to  Heaven."  To  understand  this 
expression,  see  Dan.  4 :  22 :  "  Thy  greatness  is  grown, 
and  reacheth  unto  heaven"  Here  we  see  that  the 
expression  signifies  great  exaltation.  Have  the 
Scriptures  attained  to  such  a  state  of  exaltation  as 
here  indicated,  since  France  made  war  upon  them  ? 
They  have.  Shortly  after,  the  British  Bible  So- 
ciety was  organized,  then  followed  the  American 
Bible  Society,  and  these,  with  their  almost  innu- 
merable auxiliaries,  are  scattering  the  Bible  every- 
where. The  Bible  has  been  translated  into  nearly 
200  different  languages,  since  that  period,  that  it 
was  never  in  before ;  and  then  the  improvements  in 
paper-making  and  printing  within  the  last  seventy- 


658  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

five  years,  have  given  an  impetus  to  the  work  of 
scattering  Bibles  which  is  without  a  parallel. 

The  Bible  has  been  sent  to  the  destitute,  liter- 
ally, by  ship-loads.  One  vessel  carried  out  from 
England  fifty-nine  tons  of  Bibles  for  the  emanci- 
pated slaves  in  the  West  Indies.  The  Bible  has 
risen  to  be  respected  by  almost  every  one,  whether 
saint  or  sinner.  The  infidel  is  ashamed  to  speak 
against  that  book,  in  decent  company ;  he  must  go 
to  the  grogshop,  or  some  other  place  of  infamy,  if 
he  expects  to  find  assenting  hearers  to  his  mad 
frothings  against  the  Bible.  It  is  exalted  as  above 
all  price,  and  as  the  most  invaluable  blessing  of  God 
to  man,  next  to  his  Son,  and  as  the  glorious  testi- 
mony concerning  that  Son.  Yes,  the  Scriptures 
may  truly  be  said  to  be  exalted  "  to  Heaven  in  a 
cloud,"  a  cloud  being  an  emblem  of  heavenly  dig- 
nity. 

VERSE  13.  And  the  same  hour  was  there  a  great  earth- 
quake, and  the  tenth  part  of  the  city  fell,  and  in  the  earth- 
quake were  slain  of  men  seven  thousand  ;  and  the  remnant 
were  affrighted,  and  gave  glory  to  the  God  of  Heaven. 

What  city?  See  chapter  17:18:  "And  the 
woman  which  thou  sawest,  is  that  great  city  which 
reigneth  over  the  kings  [kingdoms]  of  the  earth." 
That  city  is  the  papal  Roman  power.  France  is 
one  of  the  "  ten  horns "  that  gave  "  their  power  and 
strength  unto  the  [papal]  beast ;"  or  is  one  of  the 
ten  kingdoms  that  arose  out  of  the  western  empire 
of  Borne,  as  indicated  by  the  ten  toes  of  Nebuchad- 
nezzar's image,  Daniel's  ten-horned  beast,  and  John's 


CHAPTER  XI,   VERSE  1£  659 

ten-horned  dragon.  France,  then,  was  "a  tenth 
part  of  the  city;"  and  was  one  of  the  strongest 
ministers  of  papal  vengeance;  but  in  this  revolu- 
tion it  "  fell,"  and  with  it  fell  the  last  civil  messen- 
ger of  papal  fury.  "  And  in  the  earthquake  were 
slain  of  men,  [margin,  names  of  men,  or  TITLES  of 
men],  seven  thousand."  France  made  war,  in  her 
revolution  of  1789  to  '99,  and  onward,  on  all  titles 
and  nobility.  It  is  said,  by  those  who  have  exam- 
ined the  French  records,  that  just  seven  thousand 
titles  of  men  were  abolished  in  that  revolution. 
"  And  the  remnant  were  affrighted,  and  gave  glory 
to  the  God  of  Heaven."  Their  God-dishonoring 
'and  Heaven-defying  work  filled  France  with  such 
scenes  of  blood,  carnage,  and  hor-ror,  as  made  even 
the  infidels  themselves  to  tremble,  and  stand  aghast; 
and  the  "  remnant "  that  escaped  the  horrors  of  that 
hour  "gave  glory  to  God,"  not  willingly,  but  the 
God  of  Heaven  caused  this  "  wrath  of  man  to  praise 
him,"  by  giving  all  the  world  to  see  that  those  who 
make  war  on  Heaven,  make  graves  for  themselves ; 
thus  glory  redounded  to  God  by  the  very  means 
that  wicked  men  employed  to  tarnish  that  glory. 

For  many  of  the  foregoing  thoughts  on  the  Two 
Witnesses  we  are  indebted  to  an  exposition  of  the 
subject  of  "  The  Two  Witnesses,"  by  the  late  George 
Storrs. 

VERSE  14  The  second  woe  is  past ;  and  behold,  the  third 
woe  cometh  quickly. 

The  series  of  seven  trumpets  is  here  again  re- 
sumed. The  second  woe  ended  with  the  sixth 


660  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

trumpet,  August  11,  1840;  and  the  third  woe 
occurs  under  the  sounding  of  the  seventh  trumpet, 
which  commenced  in  1844. 

Then  where  are  we  ?  "  Behold  ! "  that  is  to  say, 
Mark  it  well,  "  the  third  woe  cometh  quickly."  The 
fearful  scenes  of  the  second  woe  are  past,  and  we 
are  now  under  the  sounding  of  the  trumpet  that 
brings  the  third  and  last  woe.  And  shall  we  now 
look  for  peace  and  safety,  a  temporal  millennium,  a 
thousand  years  of  righteousness  and  prosperity? 
Rather  let  us  earnestly  pray  the  Lord  to  awake  the 
slumbering. 

VERSE  15.  And  the  seventh  angel  sounded ;  and  there* 
were  great  voices  in  Heaven,  saying,  The  kingdoms  of  this 
world  are  become  the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord,  and  of  his 
Christ ;  and  he  shall  reign  forever  and  ever.  16.  And  the 
four  and  twenty  elders,  which  sat  before  God  on  their  seats, 
fell  upon  their  faces,  and  worshiped  God,  17,  Saying,  We 
give  thee  thanks,  0  Lord  God  Almighty,  which  art,  and 
wast,  and  art  to  come ;  because  thou  hast  taken  to  thee  thy 
great  power,  and  hast  reigned. 

From  the  15th  verse  to1  the  end  of  the  chapter  we 
seem  to  be  carried  over  the  ground  from  the  sound- 
ing of  the  seventh  angel  to  the  end,  three  distinct 
times.  In  the  verses  last  quoted,  the  prophet 
glances  forward  to  the  full  establishment  of  the 
kingdom  of  God.  Although  the  seventh  trumpet 
has  begun  to  sound,  we  do  not  understand  that  the 
great  voices  in  Heaven  have  yet  proclaimed  that  the 
kingdoms  of  this  world  have  become  the  kingdom 
of  our  Lord  and  his  Christ,  except  it  be  in  antici- 
pation of  the  speedy  accomplishment  of  this  fact ; 


CHAPTER  Xl,    VJMSti  16'.  661 

but  the  seventh  trumpet,  like  the  preceding  six, 
covers  a  period  of  time;  and  the  transfer  of  the 
kingdoms  from  earthly  powers  to  Him  whose  right 
it  is  to  reign,  is  the  principal  event  to  occur  in  the 
early  years  of  its  sounding ;  hence  this  event,  to  the 
exclusion  of  all  else,  here  engages  the  mind  of  the 
prophet.  See  remarks  on  verse  19.  In  the  next 
verse  John  goes  back,  and  takes  up  intervening 
events  as  follows : — 

VERSE  18.  And  the  nations  were  angry,  and  thy  wrath 
is  come,  and  the  time  of  the  dead,  that  they  should  be 
judged,  and  that  thou  shouldest  give  reward  unto  thy  serv- 
ants the  prophets,  and  to  the  saints,  and  them  that  fear 
thy  name,  small  and  great ;  and  shouldest  destroy  them 
which  destroy  the  earth. 

"  The  nations  were  angry ;"  commencing  with  the 
wonderful  revolution  in  Europe  in  1848 ;  and  from 
that  outburst  of  violence  among  the  nations,  their 
anger  toward  each  other,  their  jealousy  and  envy, 
have  been  increasing  ever  since.  Almost  every  pa- 
per shows  the  fearful  degree  to  which  they  are  now 
excited. 

"And  thy  wrath  is  come."  The  wrath  of  God 
for  the  present  generation  is  filled  up  in  the  seven 
last  plagues,  chapter  15 :  1,  which  consequently 
must  here  be  referred  to,  and  which  are  soon  to  be 
poured  out  upon  the  earth. 

"And  the  time  of  the  dead  that  they  should  be 
judged."  The  great  mass  of  the  dead,  that  is  the 
wicked,  are  still  in  their  graves  after  the  visitation 
of  the  plagues,  and  the  close  of  this  dispensation. 


6(52  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

A  work  of  judgment — of  allotting  to  each  one  the 
punishment  due  to  his  crimes — is  carried  on  in  ref- 
erence to  them  by  the  saints  in  conjunction  with 
Christ,  during  the  one  thousand  years  following  the 
first  resurrection.  1  Cor.  6:2;  Rev.  20 :  4.  Inas- 
much as  this  judgment  of  the  dead  follows  the 
wrath  of  God,  or  seven  last  plagues,  it  would  seem 
necessary  to  refer  it  to  the  one  thousand  years  of 
judgment  upon  the  wicked,  above  referred  to. 

"  And  that  thou  shouldest  give  reward  unto  thy 
servants  the  prophets."  This  carries  us  forward  to 
the  full  possession  of  the  heavenly  inheritance  at 
the  end  of  the  thousand  years ;  for  the  full  reward 
of  the  saints  is  not  reached  till  they  enter  upon  the 
possession  of  the  new  earth. 

"  And  shouldest  destroy  them  which  destroy  the 
earth ;"  referring  to  the  time  when  all  the  wicked 
will  be  forever  devoured  by  those  purifying  fires 
which  come  down  from  God  out  of  Heaven  upon 
them,  and  which  melt  and  renovate  the  earth.  2  Pet. 
3:7;  Rev.  20:  9.  By  this  we  learn  that  the  sev- 
enth trumpet  reaches  over  to  the  end  of  the  one 
thousand  years.  Momentous,  startling,  but  yet 
joyous  thought !  that  the  trumpet  is  now  sounding 
which  is  to  see  the  final  destruction  of  the  wicked, 
and  behold  the  saints  clothed  in  a  glorious  immor- 
tality, safely  instated  on  the  earth  made  new. 

Once  more  the  prophet  carries  us  back  to  the 
commencement  of  the  trumpet  in  the  following 
language : — 

VERSE  19.     And  the  temple  of  God  was  opened  in  Heaven, 


CHAPTER  XI,   VEESE  19. 


and  there  was  seen  in  his  temple  the  ark  of  his  testament ; 
and  there  were  lightnings,  and  voices,  and  thunderings,  and 
an  earthquake,  and  great  haiL 

Having  introduced  the  seventh  trumpet,  in  verse 
15,  the  first  great  event  that  strikes  the  mind  of 
the  seer,  is  the  transfer  of  the  kingdom  from  earthly 
to  heavenly  rule.  God  takes  to  him  his  great  power, 
and  forever  crushes  the  rebellion  of  this  revolted 
earth,  establishes  Christ  upon  his  own  throne,  and 
remains  himself  supreme  over  all.  This  picture 
being  completed,  we  are  pointed  back  in  verse  18, 
to  the  state  of  the  nations,  the  judgment  to  fall 
upon  them,  and  the  final  destiny  of  both  saints  and 
sinners.  This  field  of  vision  being  scanned,  we  are 
taken  back  once  more,  in  the  verse  now  under  no- 
tice, and  our  attention  called  to  the  close  of  the 
ministration  of  Christ,  the  last  scene  in  the  work  of 
mercy  for  a  guilty  world.  The  temple  is  opened  > 
the  second  apartment  of  the  sanctuary  is  entered. 
We  know  it  is  the  holy  of  holies  that  is  here  opened ; 
for  the  ark  is  seen,  and  in  that  apartment  alone 
the  ark  was  deposited.  This  took  place  at  the  end 
of  the  2300  days,  when  the  sanctuary  was  to  be 
cleansed,  the  time  when  the  prophetic  periods  ex- 
pired, and  the  seventh  angel  commenced  to  sound. 
Since  then  the  people  of  God  have  seen  by  faith  the 
open  door  in  Heaven,  and  the  ark  of  God's  testa- 
ment there.  They  are  endeavoring  to  keep  every 
precept  of  the  holy  law  written  upon  the  tables 
therein  deposited.  And  that  the  tables  of  tjie  law 
are  there,  just  as  in  the  ark  in  the  sanctuary  erected 


THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 


by  Moses,  is  evident  from  the  terms  which  John 
uses  in  describing  the  ark.  He  calls  it  the  "  ark  of 
his  testament."  The  ark  was  called  the  ark  of  the 
covenant,  or  testament,  because  it  was  made  for  the 
express  purpose  of  containing  the  tables  of  the  tes- 
timony, or  ten  commandments.  Ex.  25  :  16  ;  31  :  18  ; 
Deut.  10  :  2,  5.  It  was  put  to  no  other  use,  and  owed 
its  name  solely  to  the  fact  that  it  contained  the 
tables  of  the  law.  If  the  tables  were  not  thereir, 
it  would  not  be  the  ark  of  his  (God's)  testament, 
and  could  not  truthfully  be  so  called.  Yet  John, 
beholding  the  ark  in  Heaven  under  the  sounding  of 
the  seventh  trumpet,  still  calls  it  the  "ark  of  his 
testament,"  affording  unanswerable  proof  that  the 
law  is  still  there,  unaltered  in  one  jot  or  tittle  from 
the  copy  which  for  a  time  was  committed  to  the 
care  of  men  in  the  typical  ark  of  Moses. 

The  followers  of  the  prophetic  word  have  also 
received  the  reed,  and  are  measuring  the  temple, 
the  altar,  and  them  that  worship  therein.  Verse  1. 
They  are  uttering  their  last  prophecy,  before  nations, 
peoples,  and  tongues.  Chap.  10  :  11.  And  the  drama 
will  soon  close  with  the  lightnings,  thunderings, 
voices,  an  earthquake,  and  great  hail,  which  will 
constitute  nature's  last  convulsions. 


XII. 


THE    GOSPEL    CHURCH. 

VERSE  1.  And  there  appeared  a  great  wonder  in  heaven  ; 
a  woman  clothed  with  the  sun,  and  the  moon  under  her  feet, 
and  upon  her  head  a  crown  of  twelve  stars  ;  2  ;  And  she  be- 
ing with  child  cried,  travailing  in  birth,  and  pained  to  be 
delivered.  3.  And  there  appeared  another  wonder  in  heav- 
en ;  and  behold  a  great  red  dragon,  having  seven  heads  and 
ten  horns,  and  seven  crowns  upon  his  heads. 

An  elucidation  of  this  portion  of  the  chapter 
will  involve  little  more  than  a  mere  definition  of 
the  symbols  introduced.  This  may  be  given  in  few 
words  as  follows : — 

"A  woman:"  the  true  church.  "The  sun:"  the 
light  and  glory  of  the  gospel  dispensation.  "  The 
moon :"  the  Mosaic  dispensation.  As  the  moon 
shines  with  a  borrowed  light  derived  from  the  sun, 
so  the  former  dispensation  shone  with  a  light  bor- 
rowed from  the  present.  There  we  had  the  type 
and  shadow ;  here  we  have  the  antitype  and  sub- 
stance. "  A  crown  of  twelve  stars :"  the  twelve 
apostles.  "A  great/  red  dragon:"  Pagan  Rome. 
"  Heaven :"  the  space  in  which  this  representation 
was  seen  by  the  apostle.  We  do  not  understand 
that  the  events  here,  represented  to  John  took  place 

(665) 


666  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

in  Heaven  where  God  resides;  for  they  are  events 
which  transpired  on  earth;  but  this  scenic  repre- 
sentation which  passed  before  the  eye  of  the 
prophet  appeared  as  if  in  the  region  occupied  by 
the  sun,  moon,  and  stars,  which  we  speak  of  as 
heaven. 

Verses  1  and  2  cover  a  period  of  time  commenc- 
ing just  previous  to  the  opening  of  the  present  dis- 
pensation when  the  church  was  earnestly  longing 
for  and  expecting  the  advent  of  the  Messiah,  and 
extending  to  the  time  of  the  full  establishment  of 
the  gospel  church  with  its  crown  of  twelve  apostles. 

No  symbols  more  fitting  and  impressive  could  be 
found  than  are  here  employed.  The  Mosaic  dispen- 
sation shone  with  a  light  borrowed  from  the  Chris- 
tian dispensation,  just  as  the  moon  shines  with  light 
borrowed  from  the  sun.  How  appropriate,  there- 
fore, to  represent  the  former  by  the  moon,  and  the 
latter  by  the  sun.  The  woman,  the  church,  had 
the  moon  under  her  feet ;  that  is,  the  Mosaic  dispen- 
sation had  just  ended,  and  the  woman  was  clothed 
with  the  light  of  the  gospel  sun  which  had  just 
risen.  By  the  figure  of  prolepsis  the  church  is  rep- 
resented as  fully  organized,  with  its  twelve  apostles, 
before  the  man-child,  Christ,  appeared  upon  the 
scene.  This  is  easily  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that 
it  was  to  be  immediately  thus  constituted  when 
Christ  should  commence  his  ministry,  and  he  is 
more  especially  connected  with  this  church  than 
with  that  of  the  former  dispensation.  There  is  no 
ground  for  any  misunderstanding  of  the  passage; 


CHAPTER  XII,   VERSES  jr-6.  667 

and  hence  no  violence  is  done  to  a  correct  system  of 
interpretation  by  this  representation. 

VERSE  4.  And  his  tail  drew  the  third  part  of  the  stars  of 
heaven,  and  did  cast  them  to  the  earth  ;  and  the  dragon 
stood  before  the  woman  which  was  ready  to  be  delivered,  for 
to  devour  her  child  as  soon  as  it  was  born.  5.  And  she 
brought  forth  a  man  child,  who  was  to  rule  all  nations  with 
a  rod  of  iron ;  and  her  child  was  caught  up  unto  God,  and 
to  his  throne.  6.  And  the  woman  fled  into  the  wilderness, 
where  she  hath  a  place  prepared  of  God,  that  they  should 
feed  her  there  a  thousand  two  hundred  and  threescore  days. 

The  dragon  drew  the  third  part  of  the  stars 
from  heaven.  If  the  twelve  stars  with  which  the 
woman  is  crowned  denote  the  twelve  apostles,  then 
the  stars  thrown  down  by  the  dragon  before  his 
attempt  to  destroy  the  man  child,  or  before  the 
Christian  era,  may  denote  a  portion  of  the  rulers  of 
the  Jewish  people.  That  the  sun,  moon  and  stars, 
are  sometimes  used  in  this  symbolical  sense,  we 
have  already  had  evidence  in  chapter  8:12.  The 
dragon  being  a  symbol,  could  deal  only  with  sym- 
bolic stars ;  and  the  chronology  of  the  act  here 
mentioned  would  confine  it  to  the  Jewish  people. 
Judea  became  a  Roman  province  before  the  birth 
of  the  Messiah.  The  Jews  had  three  classes  of 
rulers:  Kings,  priests,  and  the  Sanhedrim.  A 
third  of  these,  the  kings,  were  taken  away  by 
the  Roman  power.  Philip  Smith,  History  of  the 
World,  vol.  iii,  p.  181,  after  describing  the  siege 
of  Jerusalem  by  the  Romans  and  Herod,  and 
its  capitulation  in  the  spring  of  B.  c.  37,  after 


(568  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

an  obstinate  resistance  of  six  months,  says :  "  Such 
was  the  end  of  the  Asmonsean  dynasty,  exactly  130 
years  after  the  first  victories  of  Judas  Maccab&us, 
and  in  the  seventieth  year  from  the  assumption  of 
the  diadem  by  Aristobulus  I." 

The  dragon  stood  before  the  woman  to  devour 
her  child.  Rome  in  the  person  of  Herod  attempted 
to  destroy  Jesus  Christ,  when  he  sent  forth  and 
destroyed  all  the  children  of  Bethlehem  from  two 
years  old  and  under.  The  child  which  was  born  to 
the  expectant  desires  of  a  waiting  and  watching 
church,  was  our  adorable  Redeemer,  who  is  soon  to 
rule  the  nations  with  a  rod  of  iron.  Herod  could 
not  destroy  him.  The  combined  powers  of  earth 
and  hell  could  not  overcome  him ;  and  though  held 
for  a  time  under  the  dominion  of  the  grave,  he  rent 
its  cruel  bands,  opened  a  way  of  life  for  the  race, 
and  was  caught  up  to  God  and  his  throne,  or  as- 
cended up  to  Heaven  in  the  sight  of  his  disciples, 
leaving  to  them  by  the  words  of  the  angels,  this 
sweetest  of  all  his  promises,  that  like  as  fee  was 
taken  away  from  them,  so  he  would  come  again. 

And  the  church  fled  into  the  wilderness,  at  the 
time  the  papacy  was  established,  in  538,  where  it 
was  nourished  by  the  word  of  God  and  the  minis- 
tration of  angels,  during  the  long  dark  and  bloody 
rule,  of  that  power  1260  years. 

VERSE  7.  And  there  was  war  in  heaven  ;  Michael  and  his 
angels  fought  against  the  dragon  ;  and  the  dragon  fought 
and  his  angels,  8,  And  prevailed  not;  neither  was  their 
place  any  more  found  in  heaven.  9.  And  the  great  dragon 


CHAPTER  XII,    VERSES  7-12.  669 

was  cast  out,  that  old  serpent,  called  the  devil,  and  Satan, 
which  deceiveth  the  whole  world  ;  he  was  cast  out  into  the 
earth,  and  his  angels  were  cast  out  with  him.  10.  And  I 
heard  a  loud  voice  saying  in  heaven,  Now  is  come  salvation, 
and  strength,  and  the  kingdom  of  our  God,  and  the  power 
of  his  Christ ;  for  the  accuser  of  our  brethren  is  cast  down, 
which  accused  them  before  our  God  day  and  night.  11.  And 
they  overcame  him  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  and  by  the 
word  of  their  testimony ;  and  they  loved  not  their  lives  unto 
the  death.  12.  Therefore  rejoice,  ye  Heavens,  and  ye  that 
dwell  in  them.  Woe  to  the  inhabiters  of  the  earth  and  of 
the  sea  !  for  the  devil  is  come  down  unto  you,  having  great 
wrath,  because  he  knoweth  that  he  hath  but  a  short  time. 

The  first  six  verses  of  this  chapter,  as  has  been 
seen,  take  us  down  to  the  close  of  the  1260  years, 
which  marked  the  end  of  the  papal  supremacy  in 
1708.  In  the  7th  verse  it  is  equally  plain  that 
we  are  carried  back  into  previous  ages.  How  far  ? 
To  the  time  first  introduced  in  the  chapter — the 
days  of  the  first  advent.  "  And  there  was  war  in 
heaven ; "  the  same  heaven  where  the  woman  and 
the  dragon  were  seen  at  first;  but  they  were  actors 
in  scenes  that  took  place  here  upon  the  earth ;  hence 
we  understand  this  war  to  be  located  in  the  same 
place.  And  to  what  time  are  we  carried  back  ? 
Evidently  to  the  commencement  of  Christ's  minis- 
try here  upon  earth.  That  Michael  is  Christ,  see 
Jude  9 ;  1  Thess.  4:16;  John  5 :  28,  29 ;  and  that 
this  was  a  special  time  of  warfare  between  him  and 
Satan,  need  not  be  argued.  That  the  dragon  here 
means  Satan  is  plainly  stated.  The  symbol  is  ap- 
plied to  Pagan  Rome  in  verse  3,  because  that  power 
was  Satan's  prime  agent  in  the  events  there  intro- 


670  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

duced.  Satan  had  looked  forward  to  Christ's  mis- 
sion to  earth  as  his  last  chance  of  success  to  over- 
throw the  plan  of  salvation.  He  came  to  him  with 
specious  temptations,  in  hope  of  overcoming  him ; 
he  tried  in  various  ways  to  destroy  him  during  his 
ministry;  and  when  he  had  succeeded  in  laying 
him  in  the  tomb,  he  endeavored  in  malignant  tri- 
umph to  hold  him  there ;  but  in  every  encounter, 
the  Son  of  God  came  off  triumphant.  And  he  sends 
back  this  gracious  promise  to  his  faithful  followers : 
"  To  him  that  overcometh  will  I  grant  to  sit  with 
me  in  my  throne,  even  as  /  also  overcame,  and  am 
set  down  with  my  Father  in  his  throne."  This 
shows  us  that  Jesus  while  on  earth  waged  a  war- 
fare, and  obtained  the  victory.  Satan  saw  his  last 
effort  fail,  his  last  scheme  miscarry.  He  had  boasted 
that  he  would  overcome  the  Son  of  God  in  his  mis- 
sion to  earth,  and  thus  render  the  plan  of  salvation 
an  ignominious  failure ;  and  well  he  knew  if  he  was 
foiled  in  this  his  last  desperate  effort  to  thwart  the 
work  of  God,  his  last  hope  was  perished,  and  all 
was  lost.  See  Spiritual  Gifts,  vol.  1,  p.  67. 

But,  in  the  language  of  verse  8,  he  "  prevailed 
not;"  and  hence  the  song  may  well  be  sung, 
"  Therefore  rejoice,  ye  Heavens,  and  ye  that  dwell 
in  them." 

It  is  held  by  some  that  this  war  took  place  when 
Satan,  then  an  angel  of  light  and  glory,  rebelled  in 
Heaven ;  and  that  the  "  casting  out "  of  which  John 
speaks,  was  his  expulsion  from  Heaven  at  that  time. 
But  we  are  unable  to  harmonize  this  view  with  the 


CHAPTER  XII,   VERSES  7-12.  671 

testimony  before  us.  Thus,  in  verse  13,  we  read : 
"  And  when  the  dragon  saw  that  he  was  cast  unto 
the  earth,  he  persecuted  the  woman  which  brought 
forth  the  man-child."  This  shows  that  just  as  soon 
as  the  devil  saw  that  he  was  cast  out,  he  turned  his 
wrath  against  the  woman,  the  church,  which,  not 
far  from  that  time,  fled  into  the  wilderness.  When 
Satan,  therefore,  found  himself  thus  overthrown,  the 
man-child  had  already  been  brought  forth ;  or,  in 
other  words,  the  first  advent  of  Christ  had  taken 
place.  Hence  this  war  and  defeat  of  Satan,  taking 
place  this  side  of  the  Christian  era,  and  not  a  great 
length  of  time  before  the  church  went  into  the 
wilderness  in  538,  cannot  be  his  primeval  fall  from 
Heaven  before  the  creation  of  the  world. 

Again,  there  seem  to  be  a  number  of  instances 
in  which  Satan  is  spoken  of  as  defeated  or  cast 
down.  One  was  his  first  rejection  from  Heaven; 
another  when  Christ  overcame  him  at  his  first  ad- 
vent ;  and  there  will  be  another  in  the  future  when 
he  is  cast  into  the  bottomless  pit,  and  shut  up  for  a 
thousand  years.  And  on  each  successive  occasion, 
we  behold  a  regularly  increasing  limitation  of  his 
power.  He  falls  a  degree  lower  in  every  succeed- 
ing combat.  The  first  time,  as  we  may  plainly  infer 
from  certain  scriptures,  the  contest  was  between 
him  and  God  the  Father.  See  Jude.  The  second 
time  between  him  and  Christ  the  Son,  as  in  the 
scripture  before  us.  While  the  third  time  an  angel 
suffices  to  accomplish  the  work  of  his  humiliation. 
Rev.  20:  1,  2.  Since  his  first  contest,  he  has  not 


672  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

been  permitted  to  rise  to  the  dignity  of  contending 
with  the  Father.  Since  the  second,  he  has  not  had 
the  privilege,  if  such  it  may  be  called,  of  a  personal 
encounter  with  the  Son.  The  war  mentioned  in 
the  scripture  now  before  us,  is  between  the  devil 
and  Michael,  Christ.  The  great  effort  of  the  former 
against  the  latter  personally  was  during  his  mis- 
sion here  on  earth  ;  and  Christ's  great  victory  over 
him  personally,  was  in  that  very  contest. 

"  Neither  was  their  place  found  any  more  in 
heaven."  Heaven,  we  have  seen,  does  not  mean,  in 
this  chapter,  the  place  which  is  the  abode  of  God 
and  his  celestial  messengers.  We  think  it  here  de- 
notes a  condition  rather  than  a  place,  and  under- 
stand the  expression  to  signify  that  they  were  here 
humiliated,  and  never  to  regain  their  former  po- 
sition. They  had  suffered  a  terrible  defeat,  which 
Christ  describes  by  saying:  "I  beheld  Satan  as 
lightning  falling  from  heaven."  His  hope  which 
he  had  all  along  cherished  of  overcoming  the  Son 
of  man  when  he  took  upon  him  our  nature,  had 
forever  perished.  His  power  was  limited.  He  could 
no  more  aspire  to  a  personal  encounter  with  the  Son 
of  God,  a  power  which  hitherto  had  given,  in  a  com- 
parative degree,  dignity  and  prestige  to  his  position. 
Henceforth  the  church  (the  woman)  is  the  object  of 
his  malice,  and  he  resorts  to  all  those  nefarious 
means  against  her  that  would  naturally  character- 
ize a  baffled  and  hopeless  rage.  See  Spiritual  Gifts, 
vol.  1,  p.  79. 

But  hereupon  a  song  is  sung  in  Heaven,  "  Now 


CHAPTER  XII,    VEMSES  13-17.  $73 

is  come  salvation,"  etc.  How  is  this,  if  these  scenes 
are  in  the  past  ?  Had  salvation  and  strength,  and 
the  kingdom  of  God,  and  the  power  of  his  Christ 
then  come  ?  We  understand  this  song  to  be  sung 
prospectively.  These  things  were  made  sure.  The 
great  victory  had  been  won  by  Christ  which  put 
the  question  of  their  establishment  forever  at  rest. 
Just  as  we  read  in  other  scriptures,  "  We  have  eter- 
nal life,"  "  We  have  redemption  through  his  blood," 
etc.,  as  though  we  were  now  in  actual  possession  of 
these  blessings;  whereas  we  only  have  them  by 
faith;  and  the  language  is  simply  an  assurance 
that  they  are  forever  sure  to  the  final  overcomers. 

The  prophet  then  glances  rapidly  over  the  work- 
ing of  Satan  from  that  time  to  the  end,  verses  11, 
12,  during  which  time  the  faithful  "  brethren"  over- 
come him  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  and  the  word 
of  their  testimony,  while  his  wrath  increases  as  his 
time  grows  short. 

VERSE  13.  And  when  the  dragon  saw  that  he  was  cast 
unto  the  earth,  he  persecuted  the  woman  which  brought 
forth  the  man-child.  14.  And  to  the  woman  were  given  two 
wings  of  a  great  eagle,  that  she  might  fly  into  the  wilder- 
ness, into  her  place,  where  she  is  nourished  for  a  time,  and 
times,  and  half  a  time,  from  the  face  of  the  serpent.  15. 
And  the  serpent  cast  out  of  his  mouth  water  as  a  flood  after 
the  woman,  that  he  might  cause  her  to  be  carried  away  of 
the  flood.  16.  And  the  earth  helped  the  woman  ;  and  the 
earth  opened  her  mouth,  and  swallowed  up  the  flood  which 
the  dragon  cast  out  of  his  mouth.  17.  And  the  dragon  was 
wroth  with  the  woman,  and  went  to  make  war  with  the  rem- 
nant of  her  seed,  which  keep  the  commandments  of  God, 
and  have  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ. 
43 


674  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

But  little  comment  is  necessary  on  the  verses 
last  introduced.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  here  we  are 
again  carried  back  to  the  time  when  Satan  became 
fully  aware  that  he  had  utterly  failed  in  all  his 
attempts  against  the  Lord  of  glory  in  his  earthly 
mission;  and  seeing  this  he  turned  with  tenfold 
fury,  as  already  noticed,  upon  the  church  which 
Christ  had  established.  Then  we  have  again  brought 
to  view  the  church  in  her  wilderness  state,  a  time 
times  and  a  half,  1260  years,  verse  6,  the  flood  of 
persecution  which  the  devil  cast  out  after  the  church 
through  the  medium  of  the  papacy,  the  help  the 
church  received  from  the  Reformation,  which  being 
espoused  by  various  princes  and  earthly  powers, 
restrained  the  spirit  and  work  of  persecution,  and 
finally  the  last  assault  of  the  dragon  upon  the  com- 
mandment keeping  remnant,  just  in  the  future.  It 
may  be  proper  to  notice  that  in  this  chapter  three 
powers  are  made  use  of  by  the  devil  to  carry  out 
his  work,  and  hence  are  all  spoken  of  as  the  dragon, 
he  being  the  inspiring  agent  in  them  all.  1.  Pagan 
Rome.  2.  Papal  Rome.  3.  The  two-horned  beast, 
our  own  country  under  the  control  of  apostate  Pro- 
testantism, which  is  the  chief  agent,  as  will  hereaf- 
ter appear,  in  making  war  upon  those  who  keep  the 
commandments  of  God,  and  have  the  testimony  of 
Jesus. 


XIII. 


PERSECUTING  POWERS,  PROFESSEDLY  CHRISTIAN. 

VERSE  1.  And  I  stood  upon  the  sand  of  the  sea,  and  saw 
a  beast  rise  up  out  of  the  sea,  having  seven  heads  and  ten 
horns,  and  upon  his  horns  ten  crowns,  and  upon  his  heads 
the  name  of  blasphemy.  2.  And  the  beast  which  I  saw  was 
like  unto  a  leopard,  and  his  feet  were  as  the  feet  of  a  bear, 
and  his  mouth  as  the  mouth  of  a  lion  ;  and  the  dragon  gave 
liim  his  power,  and  his  seat,  and  great  authority.  3.  And  I 
saw  one  of  his  heads  as  it  were  wounded  to  death  ;  and  his 
deadly  wound  was  healed  ;  and  all  the  world  wondered  after 
the  beast.  4.  And  they  worshiped  the  dragon  which  gave 
power  unto  the  beast ;  and  they  worshiped  the  beast,  say- 
ing, Who  is  like  unto  the  beast  ?  who  is  able  to  make  war 
with  him  ?  5.  And  there  was  given  unto  him  a  mouth  speak- 
ing great  things  and  blasphemies  ;  and  power  was  given  unto 
him  to  continue  forty  and  two  months.  6.  And  he  opened 
his  mouth  in  blasphemy  against  God,  to  blaspheme  his  name, 
and  his  tabernacle,  and  them  that  dwell  in  Heaven.  7.  And 
it  was  given  unto  him  to  make  war  with  the  saints,  and  to 
overcome  them  ;  and  power  was  given  him  over  all  kindreds, 
and  tongues,  and  nations.  8.  And  all  that  dwell  upon  the 
earth  shall  worship  him,  whose  names  are  not  written  in  the 
book  of  life  of  the  Lamb,  slain  from  the  foundation  of  the 
world.  9.  If  any  man  have  an  ear,  let  him  hear.  10.  He 
that  leadeth  into  captivity  shall  go  into  captivity ;  he  that 
killeth  with  the  sword  must  be  killed  with  the  sword.  Here 
is  the  patience  and  the  faith  of  the  saints. 

(675) 


676  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

The  sea  is  a  symbol  of  "  peoples,  and  multitudes, 
and  nations,  and  tongues."  Rev.  17  : 15.  A  wild 
beast  is  the  Bible  symbol  of  an  unrighteous  na- 
tion or  power,  representing  sometimes  the  civil 
power  alone;  sometimes  the  ecclesiastical  in  con- 
nection with  the  civil.  Whenever  a  beast  is  seen 
to  come  up  out  of  the  sea,  it  denotes  that  the  power 
arose  in  a  thickly  populated  territory ;  and  if  the 
winds  are  represented  as  blowing  upon  the  sea,  as 
in  Dan.  7  :  2,  3,  political  commotion,  civil  strife  and 
revolution  are  indicated. 

By  the  dragon  of  the  previous  chapter,  and  the 
beast  first  introduced  in  this,  we  have  the  Roman 
power  as  a  whole  brought  to  view  in  its  two  phases 
of  paganism  and  papacy ;  hence  these  two  symbols 
have  each  the  seven  heads  and  ten  horns.  See  on 
chapter  17 :  10. 

The  seven-headed  and  ten-horned  beast,  or,  more 
briefly,  the  leopard  beast,  here  introduced,  symbol- 
izes a  power  which  exercises  ecclesiastical  as  well  as 
civil  authority.  This  point  is  of  sufficient  impor- 
tance to  justify  the  introduction  of  a  few  of  the 
conclusive  arguments  which  go  to  prove  it. 

The  line  of  prophecy  in  which  this  symbol  occurs 
commences  with  chapter  12.  The  symbols  of  earthly 
governments  embraced  in  the  prophecy  are,  the 
dragon  of  chapter  12,  and  the  leopard  beast  and 
two-horned  beast  of  chapter  13.  The  same  line  of 
prophecy  evidently  continues  into  chapter  14,  clos- 
ing with  verse  5  of  that  chapter.  Commencing, 
therefore,  with  verse  1  of  chapter  12,  and  ending 


PAGAN   ROME. 


PAPAL  ROME. 


PROTESTANT  AMERICA. 


THE  LAST  MESSAGE. 


PLATE  X.— SYMBOLS  OF  REV.   XII-XIV 


CHAPTER  XIII,    VERSES  1-10.  677 

with  verse  5  of  chapter  14,  we  have  a  line  of 
prophecy  distinct  and  complete  in  itself. 

Each  of  the  powers  here  introduced  is  repre- 
sented as  fiercely  persecuting  the  church  of  God. 
The  scene  opens  with  the  church,  under  the  symbol 
of  a  woman,  anxiously  longing  for  the  promise  to 
be  fulfilled  when  the  seed  of  the  woman,  the  Lord 
of  glory,  should  appear  among  men.  The  dragon 
stood  before  the  woman  for  the  purpose  of  devour- 
ing her  child.  His  evil  design  is  thwarted,  and  the 
child  is  caught  up  to  God  and  his  throne.  A  period 
follows  in  which  the  church  suffers  severe  oppres- 
sion from  this  dragon  power.  And  though  in  this 
part  of  the  scene  the  prophet  occasionally  glances 
forward,  once  even  down  almost  to  the  end,  because 
all  the  enemies  of  the  church  were  to  be  actuated  by 
the  spirit  of  the  dragon,  yet  in  verse  1  of  chap.  13, 
we  are  carried  back  to  the  time  when  the  leopard 
beast,  the  successor  of  the  dragon,  commences  his 
career.  From  this  power,  for  the  long  period  of 
1260  years,  the  church  suffers  war  and  persecution. 
Following  this  period  of  oppression,  the  church  has 
another  conflict,  brief,  but  sharp  and  severe,  with 
the  two-horned  beast.  Then  comes  deliverance ; 
and  the  prophecy  closes  with  the  church  brought 
safely  through  all  her  persecutions,  and  standing 
victorious  with  the  Lamb  on  Mount  Zion.  Thank 
God  for  the  sure  promise  of  final  victory. 

The  one  character  which  ever  appears  the  same 
in  all  these  scenes,  and  whose  history  is  the  leading 
theme  through  all  the  prophecy,  is  the  church  of 


THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 


God.  The  other  characters  are  her  persecutors,  and 
are  introduced  simply  because  they  are  such.  And 
here,  as  an  introductory  inquiry,  we  raise  the  ques- 
tion, Who,  or  what,  is  it  that  persecutes  the  true 
church?  It  is  the  false  or  apostate  church.  What 
is  it  that  is  ever  warring  against  true  religion  ?  It 
is  the  false  and  counterfeit  religion.  Who  ever 
heard  of  the  civil  power,  merely,  of  any  nation,  per- 
secuting the  people  of  God  ?  Governments  may 
war  against  other  governments,  to  avenge  some 
wrong  real  or  imaginary,  or  to  acquire  territory  and 
extend  their  power,  as  nations  have  often  warred 
against  the  Jews ;  but  governments  do  not  perse- 
cute (mark  the  word — do  not  persecute)  people  on 
account  of  their  religion,  unless  under  the  control 
of  some  opposite  and  hostile  system  of  religion.  But 
the  powers  introduced  in  this  prophecy,  the  dragon, 
the  leopard  beast,  and  the  two-horned  beast,  are  all 
persecuting  powers.  They  are  actuated  by  rage 
and  enmity  against  the  people  and  church  of  God. 
And  this  fact  is  of  itself  sufficiently-conclusive  evi- 
dence that  in  each  of  these  powers  the  ecclesiastical 
or  religious  element  is  the  controlling  power. 

Take  the  dragon :  What  does  it  symbolize  ?  The 
Roman  Empire  is  the  undisputed  answer.  But  this 
is  not  enough.  No  one  would  be  satisfied  with 
such  an  answer  as  this.  It  must  be  more  definite. 
We  then  add,  the  Roman  Empire  in  its  pagan  form; 
to  which  all  parties  also  agree.  But  just  as  soon  as 
we  say,  Pagan,  we  introduce  a  religious  element ; 
for  paganism  is  one  of  the  hugest  systems  of  coun- 


CHAPTER  XIII,   VERSES  1-10.  679 

terfeit  religion  that  Satan  ever  devised.  The  drag- 
on, then,  is  so  far  an  ecclesiastical  power  that  the 
very  characteristic  by  which  it  is  distinguished  is  a 
false  system  of  religion.  And  what  made  the  drag- 
on persecute  the  church  of  Christ?  It  was  because 
Christianity  was  swallowing  up  paganism,  sweep- 
ing away  its  superstitions,  overturning  its  idols,  and 
dismantling  its  temples.  The  religious  element  of 
that  power  was  touched ;  and  persecution  was  the 
result. 

We  now  come  to  the  leopard  beast  of  chapter  13. 
What  does  that  symbolize  ?  The  answer  still  is, 
The  Roman  Empire.  But  the  dragon  symbolized 
the  Roman  Empire,  and  why  does  not  the  same 
symbol  represent  it  still  ?  Ah !  there  has  been  a 
change  in  the  religious  character  of  the  empire; 
and  this  beast  symbolizes  Rome  in  its  professedly 
Christian  form.  And  it  is  this  change  of  religion, 
and  this  alone,  wrhich  made  a  change  in  the  symbol 
necessary.  This  beast  differs  from  the  dragon  only 
in  that  he  presents  a  different  religious  aspect. 
Hence,  it  would  be  altogether  wrong  to  affirm  that 
it  denotes  simply  the  Roman  civil  power. 

To  this  boast  the  dragon  gives  his  seat,  his  power, 
and  great  authority.  By  what  power  was  Rome 
Pagan  succeeded?  We  all  know  that  it  was  by 
Rome  Papal.  It  matters  not  to  our  present  pur- 
pose, when,  nor  by  what  means,  this  change  was 
effected ;  the  great  fact  is  apparent,  and  is  acknow- 
ledged by  all,  that  the  next  great  phase  of  the  Ro- 
man empire  after  its  pagan  form,  was  its  papal.  It 


680  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

would  not  be  correct,  therefore,  to  say  that  Pagan 
Rome  gave  its  seat  and  power  to  a  form  of  govern- 
ment merely  civil,  having  no  religious  element  what- 
ever. No  stretch  of  the  imagination  can  conceive 
of  such  a  transaction.  But  two  phases  of  empire 
are  here  recognized;  and  in  the  prophecy,  Rome  is 
pagan  until  Rome  is  papal. 

But  it  may  be  said  that  it  takes  the  leopard  beast 
and  two-horned  beast  together  to  constitute  the  pa- 
pacy, and  hence  it  is  to  these  that  the  dragon  gives 
his  power,  seat,  and  great  authority.  But  the 
prophecy  does  not  say  so.  It  is  the  leopard  beast 
alone  with  which  the  dragon  has  to  do.  It  is  to 
that  beast  alone  that  he  gives  his  power,  seat,  and 
great  authority.  It  is  that  beast  that  has  a  head 
that  is  wounded  to  death,  which  is  afterward  healed ; 
that  beast  that  the  whole  world  wonders  after;  that 
beast  that  receives  a  mouth  speaking  blasphemies, 
and  that  wears  out  the  saints  for  1260  years;  and 
all  this  before  the  succeeding  power,  the  two-horned 
beast,  comes  upon  the  stage  of  action  at  all.  The 
leopard  beast  alone,  therefore,  symbolizes  the  Ro- 
man empire  in  its  papal  form,  the  controlling  influ- 
ence being  ecclesiastical. 

To  show  this  more  fully,  we  have  but  to  draw 
a  parallel  between  the  little  horn  of  Dan.  7 :  8,  20, 
24,  25,  and  this  power.  There  are  six  points  of 
identity  as  follows  : — 

1.  The  little  horn  was  a  blasphemous  power: 
"  He  shall  speak  great  words  against  the  Most 
High."  Dan.  7 :  25.  The  leopard  beast  of  Rev.  13  : 


CHAPTER  XIII,   VEIttiES  1-10.  681 

6,  does  the  same :    "  He  opened  his  mouth  in  blas- 
phemy against  God." 

2.  The  little  horn  made  war  with  the  saints,  and 
prevailed  against   them.     Dan.  7 :  21.     This  beast 
also,  Rev.  13 :  7,  makes  war  with  the  saints,  and 
overcomes  them. 

3.  The  little  horn  had  a  mouth  speaking  great 
things.     Dan.  7 :  8,  20.     And  of  this  beast  we  read, 
Rev.  13:  5:   "And  there  was  given  him  a  mouth 
speaking  great  things  and  blasphemies." 

4.  The  little  horn  arose  on  the  cessation  of  the 
pagan  form  of  the  Roman  empire.    This  beast  arises 
at  the  same  time;  for   the  dragon,  Pagan   Rome, 
gives  him  his  power,  his  seat,  and  great  authority. 

5.  Power  was  given  to  the  little  horn  to  continue 
for  a  time,  times,  and  the  dividing  of  time,  or  1260 
years.     Dan.  7 :  25.     To  this  beast  also  power  was 
given  for  forty-two  months,  or  1260  years.     Rev. 
13:  5. 

6.  At  the   end  of  that   specified  period,  the  do- 
minion of  the  little  horn  was  to  be  taken  away, 
Dan.  7 :  26.     At   the  end  of   the  same  period  the 
leopard  beast  was  himself  to  be  "  led  into  captivity." 
Rev.  13 :  10.      Both  these  specifications  were  ful- 
filled in  the  captivity  and  exile  of  the  pope,  and  the 
temporary  overthrow  of  the  papacy  by  France  in 
1798. 

Here  are  points  that  prove  identity.  For  when 
we  have  in  prophecy  two  symbols,  as  in  this  in- 
stance, representing  powers  that  come  upon  the 
stage  of  action  at  the  same  time,  occupy  the  same 


682  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

territory,  maintain  the  same  character,  do  the  same 
work,  exist  the  same  length  of  time,  and  meet  the 
same  fate,  those  •  symbols  represent  the  same  iden- 
tical power. 

Now  all  the  particulars  above  specified  do  apply 
alike  to  the  little  horn  and  the  leopard  beast  of 
Rev.  13,  showing  that  those  two  symbols  represent 
the  same  power.  It  is  admitted  on  all  hands  that 
the  little  horn  represents  the  papacy;  and  he  who 
claims  that  the  leopard  beast  of  Rev.  13,  does  not 
represent  the  same  to  be  consistent,  must  show,  that 
at  the  same  time  that  the  papacy  arose,  there  arose 
another  great  power  exactly  like  it,  occupying  the 
same  territory,  bearing  the  same  character,  doing 
the  same  work,  continuing  the  same  length  of  time, 
and  meeting  the  same  fate,  which  would  be  as  ab- 
surd as  it  would  be  impossible. 

The  head  that  was  wounded  to  death  was  the 
papal  head.  We  are  held  to  this  conclusion  by  the 
very  obvious  principle,  that  whatever  is  spoken  in 
prophecy  of  the  symbol  of  any  government,  applies 
to  that  government  only  while  it  is  represented  by 
that  symbol.  Now  Rome  is  represented  by  two 
symbols,  the  dragon  and  the  leopard  beast,  because 
it  has  presented  two  phases,  the  pagan  and  the  pa- 
pal ;  and  whatever  is  said  of  the  dragon,  belongs  to 
Rome  only  in  its  pagan  form ;  and  whatever  is  said 
of  the  leopard  beast,  belongs  to  Rome  only  in  its 
professedly  Christian  form.  But  Rome  was  pagan 
in  John's  day,  who  lived  under  the  sixth  or  impe- 
rial head.  This  shows  us  at  once  that  six  of  the 


CHAPTER  XIII,   VERSES  1-10.  683 

heads,  including  the  imperial,  belong  to  the  dragon  ; 
and  if  it  was  any  one  of  these  heads  which  was 
wounded  to  death,  then  it  was  one  of  the  heads  of 
the  dragon,  or  one  of  the  forms  of  government  that 
belonged  to  Rome  in  its  pagan  form,  and  not  one  of 
the  heads  of  the  beast ;  and  John  should  have  said? 
I  saw  one  of  the  heads  of  the  dragon  wounded  to 
death.  But  he  says  that  it  was  one  of  the  heads  of 
the  beast  that  was  wounded  to  death.  In  other 
words,  this  wound  fell  upon  some  form  of  govern- 
ment that  existed  in  the  Roman  empire,  after  its 
change  from  paganism  to  Christianity.  But  after 
this  change,  there  was  but  one  head,  and  that  was 
the  papal.  The  exarchate  of  Ravenna  continued 
only  "a  short  space,"  Rev.  17:  10,  and  hence  it  is 
not  usually  reckoned  among  the  heads.  Thus  it  is 
placed  beyond  controversy  that  it  was  none  other 
than  the  papal  head  that  was  wounded  to  death, 
and  his  deadly  wound  was  healed.  This  wound  is 
the  same  as  the  going  into  captivity  of  Rev.  13 :  10. 
It  was  inflicted  when  the  pope  was  taken  prisoner 
by  Berthier  the  French  general,  and  the  papal  gov- 
ernment was  for  a  time  abolished,  in  1798.  Stripped 
of  his  power,  both  civil  and  ecclesiastical,  the  captive 
pope,  Pius  VI.,  died  in  exile,  August  29,  1799.  But 
the  deadly  wound  was  healed  when  the  papacy  was 
re-established,  though  with  a  diminution  of  its 
former  power  by  the  election  of  a  new  pope,  March 
14,  1800.  See  Bower's  History  of  the  Popes,  pp. 
404-428  ;  Croly  on  the  Apocalypse,  London  edition, 
p.  251. 


684  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  ME V ELATION. 

This  beast  opens  his  mouth  in  blasphemy  against 
God  to  blaspheme  his  name.  What  can  be  more 
blasphemous  than  for  a  mortal  man  to  assume  the 
titles  which  the  pope  assumes  ?  He  calls  himself, 
Lord  God,  the  pope ;  King  of  kings,  and  Lord  of 
lords ;  King  of  the  world ;  Holy  Father ;  Vicegerent 
of  the  Son  of  God ;  the  Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah  ; 
and  by  other  titles  which  belong  to  Christ  alone. 
And  besides,  the  pope  has,  in  our  own  day,  backed  by 
the  deliberate  action  of  the  Ecumenical  Council  of 
1870,  assumed  the  divine  prerogative  of  infallibility  ! 

He  blasphemes  his  tabernacle  by  turning  the  at- 
tention of  his  subjects  to  his  own  throne  and  palace 
instead  of  to  the  tabernacle  of  God  in  Heaven ;  by 
turning  their  attention  away  from  the  city  of  God, 
Jerusalem  above,  and  pointing  them  to  Rome,  as 
the  eternal  city.  And  he  blasphemes  them  that 
dwell  in  Heaven,  by  assuming  to  exercise  the  power 
of  forgiving  sins,  and  so  turning  away  the  minds  of 
men  from  the  mediatorial  work  of  Christ  and  his 
heavenly  assistants  in  the  sanctuary  above. 

By  verse  10  we  are  again  referred  to  the  events 
of  1798,  when  that  power  that  had  for  1260  years 
led  the  saints  of  God  into  captivity,  was  led  into 
captivity  itself,  as  already  noticed. 

VERSE  11.  And  I  beheld  another  beast  coming  up  out 
of  the  earth ;  and  he  had  two  horns  like  a  lamb,  and 
he  spake  as  a  dragon.  12.  And  he  exercisei-h  all  the 
power  of  the  first  beast  before  him,  and  causeth  the  earth 
and  them  which  dwell  therein  to  worship  the  first  beast, 
whose  deadly  wound  was  healed.  13.  And  he  doeth  great 
wonders,  so  that  he  maketh  fire  come  down  from  heaven  on 


CHAPTER  XIII,   VERSES  11-17.  685 

the  earth  in  the  sight  of  men,  14,  And  deceiveth  them  that 
dwell  on  the  earth  by  the  means  of  those  miracles  which  he 
had  power  to  do  in  the  sight  of  the  beast ;  saying  to  them 
that  dwell  on  the  earth,  that  they  should  make  an  image  to 
the  beast,  which  had  the  wound  by  a  sword,  and  did  live. 
15.  And  he  had  power  to  give  life  unto  the  image  of  the 
beast,  that  the  image  of  the  beast  should  both  speak,  and 
cause  that  as  many  as  would  not  worship  the  image  of  the 
beast  should  be  killed.  16.  And  he  causeth  all,  both  small 
and  great,  rich  and  poor,  free  and  bond,  to  receive  a  mark  in 
their  right  hand,  or  in  their  foreheads ;  17 ;  And  that  no 
man  might  buy  or  sell,  save  he  that  had  the  mark,  or  the 
name  of  the  beast,  or  the  number  of  his  name. 

These  verses  bring  to  view  the  third  great  sym- 
bol in  the  line  of  prophecy  we  are  examining,  usu- 
ally denominated  the  two-horned  beast.  We  inquire 
for  its  application.  The  dragon,  Rome  pagan,  and 
the  leopard  beast,  Rome  papal,  present  before  us 
great  nationalities  standing  as  the  representatives 
of  two  great  systems  of  false  religion.  Analogy 
would  seem  to  require  that  the  remaining  symbol, 
the  two-horned  beast,  have  a  similar  application. 
We  therefore  look  for  its  fulfillment  to  some  nation 
presenting  another  religious  phase;  and  we  con- 
sider the  two-horned  beast  a  symbol  of  these  Uni- 
ted States,  not  only  because  no  other  power  answers 
to  the  prophecy,  but  because  the  specifications  are 
accurately  met  in  this. 

1.  The  two-horned  beast  must  symbolize  a  sepa- 
rate and  distinct  power;  for  it  is  another  beast. 
This  is  too  evident  to  call  for  proof.  The  two- 
horned  beast  acts  in  the  sight  of  the  first  beast, 
and  in  reference  to  him  ;  not  in  connection  with 


686  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

him.      This  is   perfectly  answered   in  the   United 
States. 

2.  Being  a  separate  and  distinct  power,  it  must 
occupy  different  territory.     Two  governments  can- 
not occupy   the  same   territory  at  the  same  time. 
This   is  further  proved   by  what   the  two-horned 
beast  does.     He   causes   the  earth   and  them  that 
dwell  therein  to  worship  the  first  beast.     Now,  the 
first  beast,  whatever  power  may  be  meant  by  it,  is 
certainly  competent  to  enforce  its  own  worship,  in 
its  own  country,  and  from  its  own  subjects ;  and 
the  fact  that  the  two-horned  beast  has  to  put  forth 
his  authority  to  cause  those  under  his  dominion  to 
worship  the  first  beast,  is  proof  positive  that  it  oc- 
cupies territory,  and  rules  over  a  class  of  subjects, 
over  which  the  first  beast  has  no  jurisdiction.    Then 
we  must  look  for  this  power  to  some  nation  outside 
the  territory  occupied  by  the  governments  of  Eu- 
rope; for  that  territory  is  all  taken  up  by  the  first 
beast  and  the  ten  horns.     This  specification  is  ad- 
mirably met   in  our  own  government,   which  has 
arisen  outside  of  the  territory  of  the  ten  kingdoms, 
and  in  less  than  a  hundred  years  since  the  time 
when  the  prophecy  began  to  be  applicable  to  it,  has 
sprung  from  a  dependent  colony  to  equal  rank  with 
the  highest  in  the  catalogue  of  nations. 

3.  The  two-horned  beast  arises  subsequently  to 
the  ten-horned  beast;  for  that  is  called  the  first  beast 
— first,  because  it  had  priority  of  existence.     That 
beast  we  have  proved  to  be  the  papacy.     Now  we 
ask,  What  power  of  any  note  has  arisen  outside  the 


CHAPTER  XIII,    VERSES  11-17.  687 

ten  kingdoms  of  Europe,  since  the  establishment  of 
the  papacy,  except  our  own  government  ?     None. 

4.  But  the  two-horned  beast  not  only  rises  sub- 
sequently  to  the  ten-horned  beast,  but  a  definite 
time  is  pointed  out  at  which  he  begins  to  attract 
the  attention  of  the  world  as  a  rising  power;  and 
this   is  when   the  first   beast   goes  into   captivity. 
Verse  10.     At  that  time,  says  John  (for  there  is  no 
change  in  the  scene),  I  beheld  another  beast  "  com- 
ing up."     The  going  into  captivity  of  the  first  beast, 
verse  10,  was,  as  we  have  shown,  the  temporary 
overthrow  of  the  papacy  by  the  French,  in  1798, 
being  the  same  as  the  wounding  of  one  of  the  heads 
to  death,  mentioned  in  verse  3.     And  it  is  subse- 
quent to  the  healing  of  that  wounded  head,  that 
the  two-horned  beast  causes  his  subjects  to  worship 
that  beast ;  for  he  causes  them  to  worship  the  beast 
"  whose  deadly  wound  was  healed."     The  work  of 
the   two-horned   beast  is  thus  brought  down  this 
side  of   the  year  1798.     And  we  here  ask,  What 
notable  power  was  there  on  the  face  of  the  earth, 
"  coming  up,"  and  attracting  the*  attention  of  the 
world,  in  the  year  1798,  except  our  own  govern- 
ment ?     Not  one.    No  power  can  be  found  in  which 
these  three  last  specifications  find  a  fulfillment  ex- 
cept these  United  States. 

5.  The  manner  of  its  rise.    The  two-horned  beast 
comes  up  out  of  the  earth,  unlike  most  of  the  others, 
which  are  said  to  come  up  out  of  the  sea ;  that  is, 
arose   by   overturning   the   powers   that   preceded 
them,  by  means  of   general  war,  and  built  them- 


688  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

selves  up  by  conquest.  But  this  arose  in  a  quiet, 
peaceful  manner,  instead  of  through  strife  and  com- 
motion. It  does  not  arise  by  strife  of  the  winds  upon 
the  sea,  that  is,  by  the  overthrow  of  other  nations 
and  empires,  but  it  arises  where  no  other  beast  ex- 
ists, and  acts  its  part  in  the  presence  of  its  prede- 
cessors. This  shows  that  it  must  arise  from  a  new 
and  previously  unoccupied  territory.  This  is  true 
of  our  government,  but  not  of  any  other  to  which 
we  can  look  for  a  fulfillment  of  the  two-horned 
beast  prophecy.  Against  the  declared  peaceful  rise 
of  this  power,  the  war  of  the  Revolution  is  no  ob- 
jection ;  as  that  was  a  war  in  which  this  nation 
simply  stood  on  the  defensive  in  support  of  its 
Declaration  of  Independence.  As  remarked  by 
another  writer  on  this  subject,  "It  is  worthy  of 
notice  that  the  ten  kingdoms  of  the  fourth  empire 
were  all  complete  long  before  the  discovery  of 
America.  And  the  war  of  the  Revolution  was  not 
for  the  purpose  of  overthrowing  one  of  the  ten 
kingdoms  of  the  fourth  empire ;  but  it  was  to  main- 
tain the  just  righte  of  the  American  people." 

6.  Its  character.  It  had  two  horns  like  a  lamb. 
What  was  it  that  was  like  a  lamb  ?  Not  the  beast, 
but  the  horns.  And  why  did  not  the  prophecy  say 
simply  that  he  had  two  horns,  and  nothing  further  ? 
Why  two  horns  like  a  lamb?  It  can  be  for  no 
other  purpose  than  to  represent  the  character  of 
this  power.  And  the  fact  that  there  are  two  of 
these  horns,  signifies  that  there  are  two  leading 
characteristics  belonging  to  the  power  in  question, 


UllAl'TEli  Xill,    VEMSEX  11-17.  689 

which  are  mild,  harmless,  and  lamb-like.  And  how 
admirably  this  is  met  in  our  own  government.  The 
leading  principles  of  this  government  are  Republi- 
canism and  Protestantism.  What  principles  can  be 
more  mild  and  lamb-like  in  appearance  ?  And  on 
these  this  government  is  founded ;  and  these  are  the 
secret  springs  of  its  greatness  and  power.  It  was  the 
object  of  those  who  first  sought  these  shores,  to 
found,  as  expressed  by  the  Hon.  J.  A.  Bingham,  "  a 
church  without  a  pope,  and  a  State  without  a  king ;" 
a  government  where  all  men  should  be  considered 
free  and  equal,  and  all  have  the  privilege  of  wor- 
shiping God  according  to  the  dictates  of  their  own 
consciences.  And  under  the  benign  influence  of  one 
of  these  principles,  the  declaration  of  equality  and 
liberty,  the  eyes  of  the  world  are  turned  to  the  open 
arms  of  this  nation,  and  emigration  flows  from  all 
lands  to  our  thus-far  inviting  and  hospitable  shores. 
And  under  the  mild  operation  of  the  other,  free- 
dom of  conscience  for  all,  the  gospel  has  been  pro- 
claimed and  churches  have  multiplied.  That  a  horn 
is  sometimes  taken  to  represent  ecclesiastical  as  well 
as  civil  power,  see  the  works  entitled  "  The  Three 
Messages "  and  "  The  United  States  in  Prophecy," 
published  at  the  REVIEW  Office,  Battle  Creek,  Mich. 
7.  Another  point  may  not  be  overlooked.  The 
two  horns  have  no  crowns  upon  them,  which  shows 
that  the  character  of  the  government  is  not  mo- 
narchical ;  and  the  language  of  verse  14  shows  that 
it  must  be  republican;  for  an  appeal  is  made  to  the 
people  in  the  enactment  of  its  laws.  It  is  some 


690  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

government  in  which  the  law-making  power  resides 
in  the  people.  And  we  may  look  where  we  will, 
outside  of  these  United  States,  and  we  find  no 
power  of  sufficient  importance  to  be  noticed  in 
prophecy,  in  which  this  specification  is  met. 

Here  are  seven  specifications,  all  perfectly  ful- 
filled in  this  government,  and  six  of  them  appli- 
cable to  no  other  government  in  the  wide  world. 
Now,  if  our  nation  is  not  the  one  which  is  repre- 
sented by  that  symbol,  then  the  fulfillment  of 
that  part  of  the  prophecy  is  not  even  commenced  ; 
and  we  have  yet  to  wait,  not  merely  for  certain 
acts  to  be  done  on  the  part  of  this  government, 
which  it  is  able  at  any  time  to  do,  and  which,  ac- 
cording to  our  view  of  the  prophecy,  are  the  only 
things  for  which  we  have  to  wait ;  but  we  have  to 
wait  for  the  development  and  growth  of  the  power 
itself,  and  then  for  the  performance  of  its  acts. 
And  this,  if  the  power  should  rise  as  rapidly  as  our 
own  nation  has  arisen,  would  consume,  at  least,  a 
century.  And  more  than  this,  if  this  nation  is  not 
the  one  meant  by  the  two-horned  beast,  the  proph- 
ecy has  utterly  failed ;  for  82  years  have  gone  by 
since  the  time  at  which  it  should  have  been  seen 
coming  up;  which  was,  as  we  have  shown,  the 
time  when  the  first  beast  went  into  captivity  in 
1798. 

The  acts  ascribed  to  this  power  are  mostly  future. 
He  exerciseth  all  the  power  of  the  first  beast,  before 
him,  that  is,  in  his  presence,  as  the  original  word 
signifies ;  showing  that  these  two  powers,  the  Papal 


CHAPTER  XIII,    VERSES  11-17. 


691 


and  Protestant,  are  contemporary.  This  power  is 
set  forth  as  a  wonder-working  power.  The  rise  of 
spiritualism  in  our  own  country  serves  still  further 
to  identify  this  as  the  power  in  question.  The  won- 
ders attending  this  movement  are  to  a  great  extent 
already  seen.  But  we  understand  they  are  to  be 
more  fully  wrought  for  the  express  purpose  of  de- 
ceiving the  people  preparatory  to  the  erection  of  the 
image.  The  image  is  to  be  an  image  to  the  papal 
beast.  That  was  a  church  clothed  with  civil  power. 
An  image  to  it  would  be  something  resembling  it 
Must  we  not  understand,  therefore,  that  the  image 
will  be  the  church  of  this  country,  or  rather,  since 
religious  sects  are  here  so  numerous,  an  ecclesiastical 
organization  representing  these  churches,  clothed 
with  power  to  punish  heretics,  and  enforce  its  dog- 
mas under  the  severest  penalties  of  the  law  ?  And 
let  us  notice  how  the  way  is  prepared  and  prepar- 
ing for  this  last  great  act  of  the  two-horned  beast. 
Under  the  mild  influence  of  one  of  the  lamb-like 
horns,  the  Protestant  principle  that  all  have  liberty 
to  worship  God  according  to  the  dictates  of  their 
own  consciences,  which  the  government  has  thus  far 
guaranteed  to  all  its  subjects,  churches  have  multi- 
plied in  the  land.  But  these  churches  have,  as 
bodies,  rejected  light  and  truth,  and  have  met  with 
a  moral  fall.  A  catalogue  of  twenty  immoral  fea- 
tures, which  seem  to  overbalance  or  nullify  all  the 
good  ones,  is  the  photograph  which  Paul  gives  in 
2  Tim.  3 :  1-5,  of  the  popular  churches  of  the  last 
days.  But  the  people  of  God  are  still  mainly  to  be 


692  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

found  in  connection  with  these  churches,  and  are 
yet  to  be  called  out.  Rev.  18 :  4.  And  when  the 
good  shall  have  all  left  these  religious  bodies,  and 
the  saving  influence  of  such  shall  have  been  wholly 
withdrawn  from  their  communion,  then  they  will  be 
ready  for  any  desperate  and  oppressive  movement 
that  Satan  can  induce  those  to  enter  upon  who  are 
led  captive  by  him  at  his  will.  Now,  out  of  this 
material,  let  an  ecclesiastical  organization  be  formed, 
and  let  the  government  grant  it  power  (and  it  will 
not  have  it  till  the  government  does  grant  it)  to 
enforce  its  dogmas  under  the  pains  and  penalties  of 
the  civil  law ;  and  what  do  we  have  ?  An  exact 
image  to  the  first  beast,  a  church  clothed  with 
power  to  enforce  its  doctrines  upon  dissenters  with 
fire  and  sword.  Here  would  be  an  organization, 
separate  from  the  government,  constituting  no  part 
of  it,  yet  created  by  it,  and  forming  a  most  perfect 
counterpart  to  the  prophecy  concerning  the  creation 
of  an  image  to  the  beast.  To  be  sure,  this  persecu- 
tion for  opinion's  sake  is  contrary  to  the  principle 
now  maintained  by  the  government,  as  represented 
by  one  of  the  horns,  that  every  man  shall  have  lib- 
erty to  worship  God  according  to  the  dictates  of 
his  own  conscience ;  but  this  answers  well  to  the 
symbol ;  for  the  dragon  voice  is  directly  the  oppo- 
site of  the  disposition  represented  by  the  lamb-like 
horns. 

When  this  image  is  instated  in  power,  its  first  act 
is  to  cause,  or  decree,  that  all  who  will  not  yield 
allegiance  to  it,  shall  be  put  to  death.  That  it  sue- 


CHAPTER  XIII,    VERSES  11-17.  (593 

ceeds  in  this  purpose  we  have  no  proof.  Oil  the 
other  hand,  it  plainly  appears  that  it  does  not. .  But 
is  it  not  said  that  he  shall  cause  that  as  many  as 
will  not  worship  the  image  of  the  beast  shall  be 
killed  ?  Yes,  we  reply,  and  so,  likewise,  he  causes 
all  to  receive  a  mark.  But  do  all  actually  receive 
it  ?  Do  the  saints  of  God  receive  the  mark  of  the 
beast  ?  No,  they  get  the  victory  over  the  beast ; 
and  Rev.  20 :  4t,  plainly  states  that  they  do  not  re- 
ceive the  mark  of  the  beast.  Yet  he  causes  all  to 
receive  the  mark.  Now  if  he  can  "  cause  "  all  to 
receive  the  mark,  and  yet  all  not  actually  receive  it, 
in  like  manner  he  can  cause  that  as  many  as  will 
not  worship  the  image  of  the  beast,  shall  be  killed, 
and  yet  they  not  actually  be  put  to  death.  This  is 
one  of  the  instances  so  common  in  the  Bible,  where 
a  verb  of  action  is  used  to  signify  merely  the  will 
and  endeavor  to  do  the  action  in  question.  In  this 
case  the  word  "  cause  "  would  signify  merely  to  de- 
cree or  enact.  See  Bush  on  Ex.  7:11,  and  Note 
at  the  end  of  this  chapter.  Deliverance  is  at  this 
time  promised  to  the  people  of  God.  Dan.  12:1. 

Since  the  foregoing  positions  were  taken,  spirit- 
ualism has  astonished  the  world  with  its  terrible 
progress,  and  shown  itself  to  be  the  wonder-work- 
ing element  which  the  prophecy  so  plainly  attributes 
to  the  two-horned  beast.  This  has  amazingly 
strengthened  the  force  of  the  application.  And 
now  within  a  few  years  we  have  seen  the  begin- 
ning of  a  remarkable  movement,  looking  toward 
the  fulfillment  of  what  would  generally  be  con- 


(594  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

sidered  the  more  improbable  portions  of  our  appli- 
cation of  the  prophecy ;  namely,  the  formation  of 
the  image,  and  the  enforcement  of  the  mark. 

,  There  is  visible  in  the  theological  world  a  gen- 
eral and  growing  movement  for  union,  not  the 
breaking  down  of  sectarian  barriers  and  uniting 
on  one  common  foundation  of  truth,  but  a  union  of 
denominations  for  the  sake  of  greater  strength  and 
influence,  on  such  points  of  faith  as  they  hold  in 
common. 

And  still  later,  an  Association,  the  National  Re- 
form Association,  even  now  national  in  character, 
as  well  as  in  name,  has  been  formed  for  the  pur- 
pose of  securing  a  religious  amendment  to  the  Con- 
stitution of  the  United  States,  so  as  to  put  "all 
Christian  laws,  usages  and  institutions,  on  an  un- 
deniable legal  basis,  in  the  fundamental  law  of  the 
land."  And  among  these  the  so-called  Christian 
Sabbath  is  made  prominent  with  emphasis. 

This  Association  has  already  held  national  and 
local  conventions  in  the  principal  cities  of  the  Union. 
Among  its  officers  are  to  be  found  Governors  of 
States,  State  Superintendents  of  Public  Instruction, 
Bishops,  Judges  of  higher  Courts,  and  College  Pres- 
idents and  Professors.  It  is  a  movement  of  great 
mental,  social,  and  professional  strength ;  and  its 
friends  are  jubilant  in  anticipation  of  speedy  and 
complete  success. 

To  receive  the  mark  of  the  beast  in  the  forehead, 
is,  we  understand,  to  give  the  assent  of  the  mind 
and  judgment  to  his  authority,  in  the  adoption  of 


CHAPTER  XIII,   VERSE  18.  (595 

that  institution  which  constitutes  the  mark ;  to  re- 
ceive it  in  the  hand  is  to  signify  allegiance  by  some 
outward  act.  The  mark  is  the  mark,  not  of  the 
two-horned  beast,  nor  of  the  image  of  the  beast, 
but  of  the  papal  beast.  The  name  and  the  number 
of  the  name  pertain  to  the  same  beast.  From  the 
llth  verse  to  the  end  of  the  chapter,  the  expres- 
sion "the  beast"  in  every  instance  refers  to  the 
papal  beast :  the  two-horned  beast  is  designated  by 
the  pronoun,  he.  The  mark  of  the  beast  is  under- 
stood to  be  a  counterfeit  Sabbath  which  is  erected 
in  opposition  to  the  Sabbath  of  Jehovah,  which  we 
have  shown  on  chapter  7 :  1-3,  to  be  the  seal  of  the 
living  God.  For  an  exposition  of  the  mark,  see  on 
chapter  14:  9-12. 

For  a  full  exposition  of  the  symbol  of  the  two- 
horned  beast,  the  reader  is  referred  to  the  work, 
"  The  United  States  in  Prophecy,"  published  at  the 
REVIEW  AND  HERALD  Office. 

VERSE  18.  Here  is  wisdom.  Let  him  that  hath  under- 
standing count  the  number  of  the  beast  :  for  it  is  the  num- 
ber of  a  man  ;  and  his  number  is  six  hundred  threescore  and 
six. 

The  Number  of  his  Name.  The  number  of  the 
beast,  says  the  prophecy,  "  is  the  number  of  a  man ; 
and  his  number  is  six  hundred  threescore  and  six." 
(666.)  This  number,  some  attempt  to  find  in  the 
word  "  Lateinos"  the  "  Latin"  kingdom.  Thus  they 
make,  by  what  rule  we  do  not  understand,  L'  stand 
for  30 ;  A,  for  1 ;  T,  for  300 ;  E,  for  5  ;  I,  f or  10 ;  N,  for 
50  ;  O,  for  70 ;  and  S,  for  200 ;  which  numbers,  add- 


696  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

ed  together,  make  666.  Deriving  the  number  from 
the  name,  in  this  manner,  we  must  regard  as  rathei 
conjectural  than  otherwise,  seeing  that  names  can 
be  found  to  almost  any  extent,  making  just  that 
number.  We  think  we  discover,  however,  a  serious 
objection  to  the  name  here  suggested.  The  number, 
says  the  prophecy,  is  the  number  of  a  man ;  and  if 
it  is  to  be  derived  from  a  name  or  title,  the  natural 
conclusion  would  be  that  it  must  be  the  name  or 
title  of  some  particular  man.  But  in  this  we  have 
the  name  of  a  people  or  kingdom,  not  of  "  a  man  " 
as  the  prophecy  says. 

The  most  plausible  name  we  have  ever  seen  sug- 
gested as  containing  the  number  'A  the  beast,  is  the 
blasphemous  title  which  the  pope  applies  to  him- 
self, and  wears  in  jeweled  letters  upon  his  miter  or 
pontifical  crown.  That  title  is  this :  Vicarius  filii 
Dei:  "  Vicegerent  of  the  Son  of  God."  Taking  the 
letters  out  of  this  title  which  the  Latins  used  as 
numerals,  and  giving  them  their  numerical  value, 
we  have  just  666.  Thus  we  have  V,  5 ;  I,  1 ;  C, 
100 ;  (a  and  r  not  used  as  numerals ;)!,!;  U  (for- 
merly the  same  as  V),  5  ;  (s  and  f  not  used  as  num- 
erals ;)  I,  1 ;  L,  50 ;  I,  1 ;  I,  1 ;  D,  500 ;  (e  not  used 
as  a  numeral ;)  I,  1.  Adding  these  numbers  to- 
gether, we  have  just  666. 

The  following  extract  on  this  point  is  from  a 
work  entitled  "  The  Reformation,"  bearing  the  date 
of  1832  :— 

"  Mrs.  A.,  said  Miss  Emmons,  I  saw  a  very  curi- 
ous fact  the  other  day ;  I  have  dwelt  upon  it  much, 


CHAPTER  Kill,    VERSE  IS. 


697 


and  will  mention  it.  A  person,  lately,  was  witness- 
ing a  ceremony  of  the  Romish  church.  As  the  Pope 
passed  him  in  the  procession,  spendidly  dressed  in 
his  pontifical  robes,  the  gentleman's  eye  rested  on 
these  full,  blazing  letters  in  front  of  his  miter 
'VICARIUS  FILII  DEI,'  The  Vicar  of  the  Son 
of  God.  His  thoughts,  with  the  rapidity  of  light- 
ning, reverted  to  Rev.  13  :  18.  Will  you  turn  to  it  ? 
said  Mrs.  A.  Alice  opened  the  New  Testament  and 
read:  'Let  him  that  hath  understanding  count  the 
number  of  the  beast ;  for  it  is  the  number  of  a  man ; 
and  his  number  is  six  hundred  threescore  and  six.' 
She  paused,  and  Miss  Emmons  said,  He  took  out 
his  pencil,  and  marking  the  numerical  letters  of  the 
inscription  on  his  tablet,  it  stood  666." 

Here  we  have  indeed  the  number  of  a  man,  even 
the  "  man  of  sin ; "  and  it  is  a  little  singular,  per- 
haps providential,  that  he  should  select  a  title  which 
shows  the  blasphemous  character  of  the  beast,  and 
then  cause  it  to  be  inscribed  upon  his  miter,  as  if  to 
brand  himself  with  the  number  666. 

Thus  closes  chapter  13,  leaving  the  people  of  God 
with  the  powers  of  earth  in  deadly  array  against 
them,  and  the  decrees  of  death  and  banishment 
from  society  out  upon  them,  for-  their  adherence  to 
the  truth.  Spiritualism  will  be,  at  the  time  speci- 
fied, performing  its  most  imposing  wonders,  deceiv- 
ing all  the  world  except  the  elect,  Matt.  24:  24; 
2  Thess.  2  :  8-12.  This  will  be  the  "  hour  of  temp- 
tation," or  trial,  which  is  to  come  upon  all  the  world, 
as  mentioned  in  Rev.  3 :  10.  What  is  the  issue  of 


(J98  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

this  conflict  ?  This  important  inquiry  is  not  left 
unanswered.  The  first  five  verses  of  the  following 
chapter,  which  should  have  been  numbered  as  a 
part  of  this,  complete  the  chain  of  this  prophecy, 
and  reveal  the  glorious  triumph  of  the  champions 
of  the  truth. 


NOTE. 

"It  is  a  canon  of  interpretation  of  frequent  use  in  the 
exposition  of  the  sacred  writings  that  verbs  of  action  some- 
times signify  merely  the  will  and  endeavor  to  do  the  action 
in  question.  Thus  in  Eze.  24 :  13  :  'I  have  purified  thee, 
and  thou  wast  not  purged  ; '  i.  e. ,  I  have  endeavored,  used 
means,  been  at  pains,  to  purify  thee.  John  5  :  44  :  '  How 
can  ye  believe  which  receive  honor  one  of  another  ; '  i.  e., 
endeavor  to  receive.  Rom.  2:4:'  The  goodness  of  God 
leadeth  thee  to  repentance  ; '  i.  e.,  endeavors,  or  tends,  to 
lead  thee.  Amos  9:3:'  Though  they  be  hid  from  my  sight 
in  the  bottom  of  the  sea  ; '  i.  e.,  though  they  aim  to  be  hid. 
1  Cor.  10  :  33  :  'I  please  all  men  ; '  i.  e.,  endeavor  to  please. 
Gal.  5  :  4  :  '  Whosoever  of  you  are  justified  by  the  law  ; ' 
i.  e. ,  seek  and  endeavor  to  be  justified.  Ps.  69  :  4  :  '  They 
that  destroy  me  are  mighty  ; '  i.  e.,  that  endeavor  to  destroy 
me.  Eng. ,  '  That  would  destroy  me. '  Acts  7  :  20  :  «  And 
set  them  at  one  again  ; '  i.  e. ,  wished  and  endeavored.  Eng., 
'  Would  have  set  them. '  " 


THE    THREE    MESSAGES. 

VERSE  1.  And  I  looked,  and,  lo,  a  lamb  stood  on  the 
Mount  Zion,  and  with  him  a  hundred  and  forty  and  four 
thousand,  having  his  Father's  name  written  in  their  fore- 
heads. 2.  And  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven,  as  the  voice  of 
many  waters,  and  as  the  voice  of  a  great  thunder ;  and  I 
heard  the  voice  of  harpers  harping  with  their  harps.  3.  And 
they  sung  as  it  were  a  new  song  before  the  throne,  and  be- 
fore the  four  beasts,  and  the  elders  ;  and  no  man  could  learn 
that  song  but  the  hundred  and  forty  and  four  thousand, 
which  were  redeemed  from  the  earth.  4.  These  are  they 
which  were  not  denied  with  women ;  for  they  are  virgins. 
These  are  they  which  follow  the  Lamb  whithersoever  he  go- 
eth.  These  were  redeemed  from  among  men,  being  the 
first-fruits  unto  God  and  to  the  Lamb.  5.  And  in  their 
mouth  was  found  no  guile  ;  for  they  are  without  fault  before 
the  throne  of  God. 

It  is  a  pleasing  feature  of  the  prophetic  word  that 
the  people  of  God  are  never  brought  into  positions 
of  trial  and  difficulty  and  there  left.  Taking  them 
down  into  scenes  of  danger,  the  voice  of  prophecy 
does  not  there  cease,  leaving  them  to  guess  their 
fate,  in  doubt,  perhaps  despair,  as  to  the  final  result; 
but  it  takes  them  through  to  the  end,  and  shows  the 
issue  in  every  conflict.  The  first  five  verses  of  Rev. 
14,  are  an  instance  of  this.  The  13th  chapter  closed, 

(699) 


700  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

with  the  people  of  God,  a  small  and  apparently  weak 
and  defenseless  company,  in  deadly  conflict  with 
the  mightiest  powers  of  earth  which  the  dragon  is 
able  to  muster  to  his  service.  A  decree  is  passed, 
backed  up  by  the  supreme  power  of  the  land,  that 
they  shall  worship  the  image,  and  receive  the  mark, 
under  pain  of  death  if  they  refuse  to  comply.  What 
can  the  people  of  God  do  in  such  a  conflict, and  in  such 
an  extremity  ?  What  will  become  of  them  ?  Glance 
forward  with  the  apostle  to  the  very  next  scene  in 
the  programme,  and  what  do  we  behold  ?  The 
very  same  company  standing  on  Mount  Zion  with 
the  Lamb, — a  victorious  company,  harping  on  sym- 
phonious  harps,  their  triumph  in  the  courts  of 
Heaven.  Thus  are  we  assured  that  when  the  time 
of  our  conflict  with  the  powers  of  darkness  comes, 
deliverance  is  not  only  certain,  but  will  immedi- 
ately be  given,  being  the  next  event  in  our  history, 
the  glorious  rest  after  the  weary  pilgrimage,  the 
glorious  consummation  of  a  life  of  toil,  suffering, 
and  ceaseless  conflict  here. 

That  the  144,000  here  seen  on  Mount  Zion,  are 
the  saints  who  were  just  before  brought  to  view  as 
objects  of  the  wrath  of  the  beast  and  his  image, 


several  considerations  show : — 


1.  They  are  identical  with  those  sealed  in  Rev. 
7,  who  have  already  been  shown  to  be  the  right- 
eous who  are  alive  at  the  second  coming  of  Christ. 

2.  They  are  the  overcomers  in  the  sixth,  or  Phil- 
ad  elphian  state  of  the  church.     See  Rev.  3  :  11,  12. 

3.  They  are  "  redeemed  from  among  men,"  verse 


CHAPTER  XIV,   VERSES  1-5.  701 

4,  an  expression  which  can  be  applicable  only  to 
those  who  are  translated  from  among  the  living. 
Paul  labored,  if  by  any  means  he  might  attain  to  a 
resurrection  out  from  among  the  dead.  Phil.  3: 
11.  This  is  the  hope  of  those  who  sleep  in  Jesus — 
a  resurrection  from  the  dead.  A  redemption  from 
among  men,  from  among  the  living,  must  mean  a 
different  thing,  and  can  mean  only  one  thing,  and 
that  is  translation.  Hence  the  144,000  are  the  liv- 
ing saints  who  will  be  translated  at  the  second 
coming  of  Christ. 

Where  is  the  Mount  Zion  where  this  company  is 
seen  standing  ?  The  Mount  Zion  above ;  for  the 
voice  of  harpers,  which  no  doubt  is  uttered  by  these 
very  ones,  is  heard  from  Heaven;  the  same  Zion 
from  which  the  Lord  utters  his  voice  when  he 
speaks  to  his  people  in  close  connection  with  the 
coming  of  the  Son  of  man.  Joel  3:  16;  Heb.  12: 
26-28;  Rev.  16:  17.  A  just  consideration  of  the 
fact  that  there  is  a  Mount  Zion  in  Heaven,  and  a 
Jerusalem  above,  would  be  a  powerful  antidote 
against  the  hallucination  of  the  doctrine  called 
"  The  Age  to  Come." 

A  few  more  particulars  only  respecting  the 
144,000,  will  claim  notice  in  these  brief  thoughts. 

1.  They  have  the  name  of  the  Lamb's  Father  in 
their  foreheads.  In  chapter  7,  they  are  said  to  have 
the  seal  of  God  in  their  foreheads.  An  important 
key  to  an  understanding  of  the  seal  of  God  is  thus 
furnished  us;  for  we  at  once  perceive  that  the 
Father  regards  his  name  as  his  seal.  That  com- 


702  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

mandment  of  the  law  which  contains  God's  name  is 
therefore  the  seal  of  the  law.  The  Sabbath  com- 
mandment is  the  only  one  which  has  this ;  that  is, 
that  contains  the  descriptive  title  which  distin- 
guishes the  true  God  from  all  false  gods.  Wherever 
this  was  placed,  there  the  Father's  name  was  said 
to  be;  Deut.  16:  6;  and  whoever  keeps  this  com- 
mandment has,  consequently,  the  seal  of  the  living 
God. 

2.  They  sing  a  new  song  which  no  other  com- 
pany is  able  to  learn.     In  chapter  15  :  3,  it  is  called 
the  song  of  Moses,  and  the  song  of  the  Lamb.    The 
song  of  Moses,  as  may  be  seen  by  reference  to  Ex. 
15,  was  the  song  of  his  experience  and  deliverance. 
Such   therefore  is   the  song  of   the    144,000.     No 
others  can  join  in  it;  for  no  other  company  will 
have  had  an  experience  like  theirs. 

3.  They  were  not  defiled  with  women.    A  woman 
is  in  Scripture  the  symbol  of  a  church ;  a  virtuous 
woman  representing  a  pure  church,  a  corrupt  wo- 
man an  apostate  church.    It  is  then  a  characteristic 
of  this  company  that  at  the  time  of  their  deliver- 
ance they  are  not  defiled  with,  or  have  110  connec- 
tion with,  the  fallen  churches  of   the  land.      Yet 
we  are  not  to  understand  that  they  never  had  any 
connection  with  these  churches ;  for  it  is  only  at  a 
certain  time  that  people  become  defiled  by  them. 
In  chapter  18:4,  we  find  a  call  issued  to  the  people 
of  God   while  they  are  in  Babylon,  to  come  out, 
lest  they  become  partakers  of  her  sins.     Heeding 
that  call,  and  leaving  her  connection,  they  escape  the 


CHAPTER  XIV,   VERSES  6-12.  703 

defilement  of  her  sins.  So  of  the  144,000.  Though 
some  of  them  may  have  once  had  a  connection  with 
corrupt  churches,  they  sever  that  connection,  when 
it  would  have  become  sin  to  retain  it  longer. 

4.  They  follow  the  Lamb  whithersoever  he  go- 
eth.     We  understand  that  this  is  spoken  of  them 
in  their  redeemed  state.     They  are  the  special  com- 
panions  of   their  glorified   Lord  in  the   kingdom. 
Chap.  7:17,  speaking  of  the  same  company,  and  at 
the  same  time,  says :  "  For  the  Lamb  which  is  in 
the  midst  of  the  throne  shall  feed  them,  and  shall 
lead  them  unto  living  fountains  of  waters." 

5.  They   are   "first-fruits"   unto   God   and   the 
Lamb.     This  term  appears  to  be  applied  to  differ- 
ent ones  to  denote  especial  conditions.     Christ  is 
the  first-fruits  as  the  antitype  of  the  wave-sheaf. 
The  first  receivers  of  the  gospel  are  called  by  James 
1 :  18,  a  kind  of  first-fruits.     So  the  144,000  ripen- 
ing up  for  the  heavenly  garner  here  on  earth,  dur- 
ing  the  troublous   scenes  of  the  last  days,   being 
translated   to  Heaven   without   seeing  death,  and 
occupying  a  pre-eminent  position,  are  in  this  sense, 
we  understand,  called  first-fruits  unto  God  and  the 
Lamb.     With  this  description  of  the  144,000  tri- 
umphant, the  line   of  prophecy  commencing  with 
chapter  12,  closes. 

YEBSE  6.  And  I  saw  another  angel  fly  in  the  midst  of 
heaven,  having  the  everlasting  gospel  to  preach  unto  them 
that  dwell  on  the  earth,  and  to  every  nation,  and  kindred, 
and  tongue,  and  people,  7,  Saying  with  a  loud  voice,  Fear 
God,  and  give  glory  to  him  ;  for  the  hour  of  his  Judgment  is 


704  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

come  ;  and  worship  Him  that  made  heaven  and  earth,  and 
the  sea,  and  the  fountains  of  waters.  8.  And  there  follow- 
ed another  angel,  saying,  Babylon  is  fallen,  is  fallen,  that 
great  city,  because  she  made  all  nations  drink  of  the  wine  of 
the  wrath  of  her  fornication.  9.  And  the  third  angel  fol- 
lowed them,  saying  with  a  loud  voice,  If  any  man  worship 
the  beast  and  his  image,  and  receive  hi»  mark  in  Irs  fore- 
head, or  in  his  hand,  10,  The  same  shall  drink  of  the  wine 
of  the  wrath  of  God,  which  is  poured  out  without  mixture 
into  the  cup  of  his  indignation  ;  and  he  shall  be  tormented 
with  fire  and  brimstone  in  the  presence  of  the  holy  angels, 
and  in  the  presence  of  the  Lamb  ;  11 ;  And  the  smoke  of 
their  torment  ascerideth  up  forever  and  ever  ;  and  they  have 
no  rest  day  nor  night,  who  worship  the  beast  and  his  image, 
and  whosoever  receiveth  the  mark  of  his  name.  12.  Here 
is  the  patience  of  the  saint ;  here  are  they  that  keep  the 
commandments  of  God  and  the  faith  of  Jesus. 

The  First  Message.  Another  scene,  and  another 
chain  of  prophetic  events,  is  introduced  in  these 
verses.  In  this  and  the  two  following  messages,  we 
have  what  is  known  as  the  three  angels'  messages 

o  O 

of  Rev.  14.  The  first  angel  is  called  another  angel 
in  verse  6,  because  John  had  already  seen  one  flying 
through  heaven  in  a  similar  manner.  Chap.  8:13. 
He  proclaims  the  gospel,  not  a  new  one,  but  the 
everlasting  gospel,  called  in  Matt.  24:  14,  "  the  gos- 
pel of  the  kingdom."  But  while  it  is  the  same 
gospel,  there  are  particular  features  which  consti- 
tute the  burden  of  this  message,  chief  among  which, 
as  shown  in  verse  7,  is  the  nearness  of  the  king- 
dom. Says  an  eminent  writer  on  the  prophecies, 
"  The  burden  of  this  angel  was  to  be  the  same  gos- 
pel which  had  been  before  proclaimed,  but  con- 


CHAPTER  XIV,   VERSES  6-12.  705 

nected  with  it  was  the  additional  motive  of  the 
proximity  of  the  kingdom.  No  mere  preaching  of 
the  gospel  without  announcing  its  proximity  could 
fulfill  this  message."  This  message  therefore  can- 
not symbolize  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  by  the 
apostles ;  for  they  only  reasoned  of  a  judgment  to 
come,  indefinitely  future.  Moreover  they  cautioned 
every  one  against  entertaining  the  idea  that  the 
day  of  Christ  was  at  hand,  till  after  the  great  papal 
apostasy,  and  the  predicted  career  of  the  Man  of 
Sin,  who  was,  according  to  other  prophecies,  to  rule 
for  1260  years,  or  to  1798.  And  we  may  add  that  the 
prophecies,  upon  which  this  proclamation  is  based, 
were  closed  up  and  sealed  to  the  same  time,  1798. 
This  message  cannot  be  given  by  any  class  of  people 
except  those  who  live  when  the  end  is  just  at  hand. 
The  Advent  proclamation,  especially  from  1840  to 
1844,  completely  answers  to  the  prophecy,  and  is 
the  only  great  religious  movement  which  can  be 
pointed  to  as  its  fulfillment.  The  judgment  an- 
nounced is  shown  by  arguments  which  the  designed 
brevity  of  this  work  will  not  here  admit,  to  be 
the  Investigative  Judgment,  which  the  reader  will 
perceive  must  take  place  before  the  coming  of 
Christ ;  for  when  Christ  comes  it  is  already  decided 
who  of  the  dead  shall  be  raised,  and  who  of  the 
living  are  worthy  to  be  changed.  That  investi- 
gative work  we  believe  commenced  in  the  sanctu- 
ary above,  when  this  message  ceased  as  a  leading 
proclamation,  at  the  close  of  the  prophetic  periods 
in  1844.  On  this  and  the  following  messages  we 
45 


706  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

are  the  more  brief  here,  as  they  are  set  forth  in  a 
separate  work  published  at  the  REVIEW  Office,  Bat- 
tle Creek,  Michigan. 

The  Second  Message.  The  second  angel  announces 
the  fall  of  Babylon.  What  is  Babylon  ?  The  figure 
is  taken  from  the  ancient  city  of  Babylon;  and 
that  received  its  name  from  the  confusion  of  tongues 
which  there  took  place ;  hence  we  understand  that 
by  this  symbol  is  meant  all  forms  of  false  and  apos- 
tate religion, 

"Whose  creeds  are  various  as  her  costly  towers." 

In  other  scriptures  also  this  spiritual  Babylon  is 
set  forth  under  the  symbol  of  a  great  city,  and  in 
Rev.  16  : 19  it  is  presented  in  three  divisions,  which 
we  understand  to  be  Paganism,  Catholicism,  and 
backslidden  Protestantism.  The  verse  before  us 
applies  evidently  to  that  division  in  which  the  bur- 
den of  the  proclamation  of  the  three  messages  is 
found,  which  is  the  last-named.  It  must  apply  also 
to  that  division  in  which  it  was  possible  for  a  still 
greater  moral  declension  to  take  place ;  which  again 
was  the  last-named ;  for  Paganism  had  always  been 
a  false  religion,  and  Catholicism  always  a  corrupt 
one.  Rev.  18 :  12,  shows  the  fall  of  Babylon  to  be 
a  moral  fall,  a  giving  away  to  ungodliness  and  spir- 
itual darkness  and  deception,  which  finally  calls 
down  from  heaven  upon  the  constituent  parts  of 
this  great  city  literal  judgments  of  the  severest 
kind.  The  fall  is  caused  by  a  rejection  of  the  great 
truth  of  the  soon-coming  of  Christ  sent  forth  from 
Heaven  in  such  majesty  and  power. 


CHAPTER  XIV,   VERSES  1-12.  707 

By  the  wine  of  wrath  (not  anger,  but  intense 
passion  or  desire)  of  her  fornication  we  understand 
her  false  doctrines  and  pernicious  errors.  Of  these 
she  has  caused  all  nations  to  drink.  A  message  of 
truth  was  sent,  which,  if  received,  would  have 
healed  her  of  her  dissensions,  uniting  the  professed 
followers  of  Christ  upon  the  great  truth  of  the  soon- 
coming  of  the  Son  of  man.  But  instead  of  receiv- 
ing the  truth,  she  clung  to  her  errors,  and  by  spread- 
ing them  among  the  nations  has  stood  directly  in 
the  way  of  the  advancement  of  the  truth  in  the 
earth.  Thus  having  grieved  the  Spirit  of  God,  that 
Spirit  has  been  withdrawn,  and  a  moral  fall  is  the 
result.  The  spirit  and  power  of  genuine  Christian- 
ity has  departed  from  the  professed  churches  of  our 
land.  An  abundance  of  statistics  to  prove  this, 
may  be  seen  in  the  work  above  referred  to. 

The  Third  Message.  The  third  angel  follows 
with  a  message  of  the  most  fearful  import.  From  the 
language  in  which  it  is  expressed,  we  understand 
at  once  that  it  is  designed  to  warn  men  against  the 
worship  of  the  beast  and  his  image,  and  prepare 
them  for  that  time  when  the  decree  shall  be  issued 
enforcing  such  worship,  as  noticed  in  the  previous 
chapter.  This  is  the  issue,  then,  to  which  the  world 
is  to  be  brought ;  namely,  to  refuse  the  mark  of  the 
beast  and  thus  become  exposed  to  the  wrath  of  anti- 
Christian,  earthly  powers ;  or,  to  receive  the  mark 
of  the  beast,  and  brave  the  unmixed  wrath  of  God. 

The  Mark  of  the  Beast.  It  now  becomes  a  matter 
of  solemn  moment  to  inquire  what  this  mark  of  the 


708  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

beast  is,  against  which  there  is  uttered  so  terrific  a 
warning.  No  warning  more  terrible  is  found  in  all 
the  Bible.  The  position  against  which  it  is  uttered 
must  therefore  be  a  most  heinous  and  Heaven-dar- 
ing one.  And  is  it  possible  that  the  world  will 
never  know  what  this  sin  is  ?  This  is  not  possible. 
God  does  not  so  deal  with  his  creatures.  He  does 
not  punish  the  wicked  without  their  knowing,  or 
having  full  opportunity  to  know,  for  what  cause 
the  punishment  is  inflicted.  Hence  we  argu®  that 
this  question  is  not  an  unfathomable  mystery ;  but 
that  all  may  know  what  constitutes  the  mark  of 
the  beast,  and  how  they  may  avoid  receiving  it. 

The  message  containing  this  warning  is  the  last 
to  be  given  before  the  revelation  of  the  Lord  from 
heaven ;  for  the  next  event  in  this  line  of  prophecy 
is  the  coming  of  one  like  the  Son  of  man  on  the 
great  white  cloud.  And  since,  as  shown  on  chap- 
ters 6  and  7,  we  have  reached  the  last  days,  and 
the  coming  of  Christ  is  at  the  door,  the  time  has 
come  for  the  proclamation  of  this  message;  and 
hence  we  argue  again  that  the  time  has  come  when 
it  should  be  known  what  the  mark  of  the  beast  is. 
Yet  how  few  ever  think  on  this  point !  and  how 
much  less  still  is  the  number  of  those  who  have  a 
position  which  they  can  offer  with  any  semblance 
of  proof  as  the  truth  in  the  matter ! 

This  subject  is  so  fully  discussed  in  publications 
issued  at  the  REVIEW  Office,  that  a  mere  outline  is 
all  that  need  here  be  presented.  The  subject  of  the 
seal  of  God  is  explained  at  length  on  Rev.  7,  to 


CHAPTER  XIV,   VERSES  6-12.  709 

which  the  reader  is  referred,  as  the  same  reasoning 
will  apply  largely  to  the  subject  before  us. ' 

The  beast  whose  mark  men  are  here  warned 
against  receiving,  is  the  one  brought  to  view  in 
Rev.  13  :  1-10.  This  we  have  already  shown  to  be 
the  Papal  Roman  power,  the  same  as  the  little  horn 
of  Dan.  7 :  8.  The  beast  of  Rev.  13,  was  to  claim 
worship  from  those  who  dwell  upon  the  earth  :  the 
little  horn  of  Dan.  7,  was  to  claim  the  power  to 
change  times  and  laws;  while  the  Man  of  Sin, 
another  name  for  the  same  power,  was  to  oppose 
and  exalt  himself  above  all  that  is  called  God,  or 
that  is  worshiped.  If  he  exalts  himself  above  God, 
he  must  claim  that  his  laws  shall  be  obeyed  in 
preference  to  the  laws  of  God.  Mark  it  well ;  there 
is  absolutely  no  other  way  in  which  he  can  exalt 
himself  above  God. 

We  are  now  prepared  to  inquire  for  proof  that 
the  Papal  power  has  tampered  with  the  law  of 
God,  or  attempted  a  change  in  the  ten  command- 
ments; and  that  if  the  ten  commandments  are 
understandingly  kept  as  changed  by  that  power, 
instead  of  as  originally  given  by  the  great  Jehovah, 
then  the  law-changing  power  is  worshiped  instead 
of  the  law-making  power.  Paul  has  said,  "  Know 
ye  not  that  to  whom  ye  yield  yourselves  servants 
to  obey,  his  servants  ye  are  to  whom  ye  obey  ?" 
Rom.  6:  16. 

It  has  already  been  shown  that  the  little  horn  is 
identical  with  the  beast  against  the  worship  of 
which  the  third  angel's  message  warns  us.  In  Dan. 


710  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

7 :  25,  it  is  said  of  this  power,  that  "  he  shall  speak 
great  words  against  the  Most  High,  and  shall  wear 
out  the  saints  of  the  Most  High,  and  think  to  change 
times  and  laws ;  and  they  shall  be  given  into  his 
hand  until  a  time  and  times  and  the  dividing  of 
time."  The  laws  here  spoken  of  must  be  the  laws 
of  the  Most  High,  even  as  the  saints  connected 
therewith  are  the  saints  of  the  Most  High.  Earthly 
powers  have  a  right  to  change  human  laws;  but 
the  laws  here  spoken  of  are  such  as  this  power 
could  only  think  to  change,  as  a  mark  of  its  anti- 
Christian  presumption,  but  not  in  reality  be  able  to 
change.  And  this  change  pertains  to  the  moral  law 
of  God ;  for  it  is  a  law  with  which  the  saints  have 
to  do  during  the  1260  years  of  Papal  supremacy, 
which  period  is  wholly  in  this  dispensation.  The 
ceremonial  law  is  therefore  out  of  the  question. 

Then  we  ask,  Who  has  fulfilled  this  remarkable 
prophecy  ?  Who  has  changed  or  attempted  to 
change  the  law  of  God  ?  To  come  more  directly  to 
the  point,  Who  has  changed  the  Sabbath  ?  And  let 
it  be  noticed,  that  it  is  nowhere  in  the  Scriptures 
intimated  that  there  would  be  any  change  made  or 
attempted,  in  the  law  of  God,  except  by  this  pow- 
er; therefore  whatever  change  has  been  made  in 
God's  moral  code,  it  has  been  done  by  this  power. 
Let  those  consider  well  this  fact,  who  claim  that 
the  Sabbath  was  changed  by  the  Lord  Jesus  or  his 
apostles. 

The  great  change  in  the  law  which  the  church  of 
Rome  daims  to  have  made,  and  which  it  labors 


CHAPTER  XIV,   VERSES  6-1&.  71 1 

hardest  to  impress  upon  the  minds  of  its  disciples, 
is  the  change  of  the  Sabbath  from  the  seventh  to 
the  first  day  of  the  week.  On  this  point  it  is  un- 
necessary to  quote  from  Protestant  authors.  Roman 
Catholics  themselves  admit  it;  and  not  only  so,  but 
they  boast  of  it  as  an  evidence  of  the  right  and  power 
of  their  church  to  legislate  in  divine  things.  For 
evidence  on  these  points,  the  reader  is  referred  to 
"  The  Catholic  Catechism  of  the  Christian  Religion," 
"Milner's  'End  of  Controversy,"'  "  Catholic  Chris- 
tian Instructed,"  "Abridgment  of  Christian  Doc- 
trine," and  "Doctrinal  Catechism," — all  Catholic 
works  of  standard  authority.  From  the  "Abridg- 
ment of  Christian  Doctrine "  we  give  the  following 
question  and  answer :  "  Question.  How  prove  you 
that  the  church  hath  power  to  command  feasts  and 
holy  days  ?  Answer.  By  the  very  act  of  changing 
the  Sabbath  into  Sunday,  which  Protestants  allow 
of ;  and  therefore  they  fondly  contradict  themselves, 
by  keeping  Sunday  strictly,  and  breaking  most 
other  feasts  commanded  by  the  same  church."  And 
the  "  Doctrinal  Catechism  "  says  :  "  Question.  Have 
you  any  other  way  of  proving  that  the  church  has 
power  to  institute  festivals  of  precept  ?  Answer. 
Had  she  not  such  power,  she  could  not  have  done 
that  in  which  all  modern  religionists  agree  with 
her; — she  could  not  have  substituted  the  observance 
of  Sunday,  the  first  day  of  the  week,  for  the 
observance  of  Saturday,  the  seventh  day,  a  change 
for  which  there  is  no  scriptural  authority." 

Here,   then,  we  have  the  mark  of  the  beast, — a 


712  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

sabbatic  institution  put  in  place  of  the  original  in- 
stitution of  Jehovah,  and  brought  forward  by  the 
Romish  church  itself  as  the  badge  and  token  of  its 
power  to  change  the  law  of  the  Most  High.  And 
he  who,  with  this  plain  fact  before  him,  shall  de- 
liberately yield  to  the  claims  of  this  anti-Christian 
power,  in  opposition  to  the  plain  requirements  of  the 
Creator,  will  thereby  acknowledge  the  supremacy 
of  the  laws  of  the  beast,  become  a  worshiper  of  the 
beast  instead  of  the  great  Jehovah,  and  receive  the 
mark  of  the  beast  instead  of  the  seal  of  the  living 
God. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  a  person  does  not  have 
the  mark  of  the  beast  in  the  Scripture  sense,  except 
by  a  voluntary  obedience  to  the  authority  of  the 
beast,  with  the  issue  fairly  before  him.  The  observ- 
ance of  the  first  day  of  the  week,  under  the  uncor- 
rected  supposition  that  it  is  a  scriptural  require- 
ment, cannot  constitute  the  mark  of  the  beast.  God 
takes  into  account  the  light  a  person  has,  and  the 
motives  from  which  he  acts.  He  who  was  the  light 
of  the  world  once  said  to  the  Jews,  "  If  I  had  not 
come  and  spoken  unto  them,  they  had  not  had  sin ; 
but  now  they  have  no  cloak  for  their  sin."  John 
15 :  22.  Hence  Christians  of  past  ages  who  have 
died  in  the  observance  of  this  institution,  unaware 
of  any  connection  between  it  and  the  enactments 
of  the  beast,  and  supposing,  the  while,  that  by  ob- 
serving Sunday  they  were  rendering  obedience  to 
the  requirements  of  God, — can  they  be  said  to  have 
had  the  mark  of  the  beast  ?  By  no  means.  The 


CHAPTER  XIV,   VERSES  6-12.  713 

honesty  of  purpose  with  which  they  lived  up  to 
the  best  light  they  had,  will  be  a  guarantee  of  their 
acceptance  with  God.  Hence,  again,  it  cannot  be  said 
of  any  at  the  present  time,  that  they  have  the  mark  of 
the  beast.  But  the  true  church  must  not  come  up  to 
the  hour  of  translation  encumbered,  however  unwit- 
tingly, with  Papal  errors  and  institutions;  and  be- 
fore we  come  upon  the  issue  brought  to  view  in 
chapter  13:  15-27,  light  must  be  given  upon  the 
mark  of  the  beast,  and  an  effectual  warning  be 
uttered  against  its  reception.  The  third  angel's 
message,  now  in  full  process  of  accomplishment 
before  us,  is  therefore  timely  and  important.  It  is 
a  summons  to  the  faithful  to  make  speedy  prepara- 
tion for  the  coming  issue. 

For  a  full  discussion  of  the  subject  of  the  Sab- 
bath, and  a  history  of  its  change  to  the  first  day  of 
the  week,  showing  the  part  the  Papacy  has  acted 
therein,  the  reader  is  referred  to  "  The  History  of 
the  Sabbath,"  by  Eld.  J.  N.  Andrews,  issued  by  the 
S.  D.  A.  Publishing  Association,  Battle  Creek,  Mich. 

The  Punishment  of  Beast  Worshipers.  These 
shall  be  tormented  with  fire  and  brimstone  in  the 
presence  of  the  holy  angels  and  of  the  Lamb.  When 
is  this  torment  inflicted?  Some  apply  it  at  the  end 
of  the  future  one  thousand  years,  Rev.  20 :  2.  But 
we  do  not  think  it  is  of  necessity  located  there. 
Chapter  19:  20  shows  that  there  is  at  the  second 
coming  of  Christ,  what  may  be  called  a  lake  of  fire 
and  brimstone,  into  which  the  beast  and  false 
prophet  are  cast  alive.  This  can  refer  only  to  the 


714  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

destruction  visited  upon  them  at  the  commence- 
ment, not  at  the  end,  of  the  thousand  years.  Again, 
there  is  a  remarkable  passage  in  Isaiah  to  which  we 
are  obliged  to  refer  in-  explanation  of  the  phraseol- 
ogy of  the  threatening  of  the  third  angel,  and  which 
unquestionably  describes  scenes  to  take  place  here 
at  the  second  advent,  and  in  the  desolate  state  of 
the  earth  during  the  thousand  years  following. 
That  the  language  in  the  Revelation  was  borrowed 
from  this  prophecy  can  hardly  fail  to  be  seen.  After 
describing  the  Lord's  anger  upon  the  nations,  the 
great  slaughter  of  their  armies,  the  departing  of  the 
heavens  as  a  scroll,  etc.,  it  says:  "For  it  is  the  day 
of  the  Lord's  vengeance,  and  the  year  of  recom- 
penses for  the  controversy  of  Zion.  And  the  streams 
thereof  shall  be  turned  into  pitch,  and  the  dust 
thereof  into  brimstone,  and  the  land  thereof  shall 
become  burning  pitch.  It  shall  not  be  quenched 
night  nor  day;  the  smoke  thereof  shall  go  up  for- 
ever; from  generation  to  generation  it  shall  lie  waste; 
none  shall  pass  through  it  forever  and  ever."  Isa. 
34:  8-10.  And  since  there  is  to  be  a  lake  of  fire  at 
the  end  of  the  thousand  years,  we  can  only  con- 
clude that  the  destruction  of  the  living  wicked  at 
the  commencement,  and  the  final  doom  of  all  the 
ungodly  at  the  end,  of  this  period,  are  very  similar. 
Duration  of  the  Punishment.  The  terms  forever 
and  ever  cannot  here  denote  eternity.  For  where  is 
this  punishment  inflicted?  On  this  earth,  or  where 
there  is  succession  of  day  and  night.  This  is  fur- 
ther shown  from  the  passage  in  Isaiah  already  re- 


CHAPTER  XIV,   VERSES  6 -IS.  715 

ferred  to,  if  that  is,  as  we  suppose,  the  language 
from  which  this  is  borrowed,  and  applies  at  the  same 
time.  That  language  is  spoken  of  the  land  of  Idu- 
mea.  But  whether  we  take  this  to  mean  literally 
the  land  of  Edom,  south  and  east  of  Judea,  or  to 
represent,  as  we  think  it  does,  this  whole  earth  at 
the  time  when  the  Lord  Jesus  shall  be  revealed  from 
heaven  in  flaming  fire,  and  the  year  of  recompenses 
for  the  controversy  of  Zion  comes,  in  either  case 
the  scene  must  eventually  terminate ;  for  this  earth 
is  finally  to  be  made  new,  cleansed  of  every  stain  of 
sin,  every  vestige  of  suffering  and  decay,  and  to 
become  the  habitation  of  righteousness  and  joy 
throughout  eternal  ages.  The  word,  diuv,  here  trans- 
lated "  forever,"  Schrevelius,  in  his  Greek  Lexicon, 
defines  thus:  "An  age;  a  long  period  of  time;  in- 
definite duration;  tune,  whether  longer  or  shorter." 
For  a  discussion  of  the  meaning  of  this  term,  see  the 
work,  "  Man's  Nature  and  Destiny." 

The  period  of  the  third  message  is  a  time  of  pa- 
tience with  the  people  of  God.  Paul  and  James 
both  give  us  instruction  on  this  point.  Heb.  10: 
36;  James  5:  7,  8.  Meanwhile  this  waiting  com- 
pany are  keeping  the  commandments  of  God,  the 
ten  commandments,  and  the  faith  of  Jesus,  all  the 
teachings  of  Christ  and  his  apostles  as  contained  in 
the  New  Testament.  The  true  Sabbath  as  con- 
tamed  in  the  commandments  is  thus  brought  out  in 
vivid  contrast  with  the  counterfeit  sabbath,  the 
mark  of  the  beast,  which  finally  distinguishes  those 
who  reject  the  third  message. 


716  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

VERSE  13.  And  I  heard  a  voice  from  Heaven  saying  unto 
me,  Write,  Blessed  are  the  dead  which  die  in  the  Lord  from 
henceforth  ;  Yea,  saith  the  Spirit,  that  they  may  rest  from 
their  labors ;  and  their  works  do  follow  them.  14.  And  I 
looked,  and  behold  a  white  cloud,  and  upon  the  cloud  one 
sat  like  unto  the  Son  of  man,  having  on  his  head  a  golden 
crown,  and  in  his  hand  a  sharp  sickle.  15.  And  another  an- 
gel came  out  of  the  temple,  crying  with  a  loud  voice  to  him 
that  sat  on  the  cloud,  Thrust  in  thy  sickle  and  reap ;  for  the 
time  is  come  for  thee  to  reap  ;  for  the  harvest,  of  the  earth 
is  ripe.  16.  And  he  that  sat  on  the  cloud  thrust  in  his 
sickle  on  the  earth  ;  and  the  earth  was  reaped. 

Events  grow  solemn  as  we  near  the  end.  It  is 
this  fact  which  gives  to  the  third  angel's  message, 
now  going  forth,  its  unusual  degree  of  solemnity 
and  importance.  It  is  the  last  warning  to  go  forth 
prior  to  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man.  We  are  fast 
passing  over  a  line  of  prophecy  which  culminates  in 
the  revelation  of  the  Lord  Jesus  from  Heaven  in 
flaming  fire,  to  take  vengeance  on  his  foes,  and  to 
reward  his  saints.  Not  only  so,  but  we  have  come 
so  near  its  accomplishment  that  the  very  next  link 
in  the  chain  is  this  crowning  and  momentous  event. 
And  time  never  rolls  back.  As  the  river  does  not 
flinch  and  fly  as  it  approaches  the  precipice,  but 
bears  all  floating  bodies  over  with  resistless  power, 
and  as  the  seasons  never  reverse  their  course,  but 
summer  follows  in  the  path  of  the  budding  fig-tree, 
and  winter  treads  close  upon  the  falling  leaf,  so  we 
are  borne  onward  and  onward,  whether  we  will  or 
not,  whether  prepared  or  not,  to  the  unavoidable 
and  irreversible  crisis.  Ah!  how  little  dream  the 


CHAPTER  XIV,   VERSES  13-16.  717 

proud  professor  or  the  careless  sinner  of  the  doom 
that  is  impending !  And  how  hard  for  even  those 
who  know  and  profess  the  truth  to  realize  it  as  it  is ! 
John  is  commanded  by  a  voice  from  Heaven  to 
write,  Blessed  are  the  dead  which  die  in  the  Lord 
from  henceforth;  and  the  response  of  the  Spirit  is, 
"Yea,  that  they  may  rest  from  their  labors,  and 
their  works  do  follow  them."  From  henceforth  must 
signify  from  some  particular  point  of  time.  What 
point?  Evidently  from  the  commencement  of  the 
message  in  connection  with  which  this  is  spoken. 
But  why  are  they  blessed?  There  must  be  some 
special  reason  for  this.  Is  it  not  because  they  escape 
the  time  of  fearful  peril  which  the  saints  are  to  en- 
counter near  the  close  of  their  pilgrimage?  And 
while  they  are  blessed  in  this  respect,  in  common 
with  all  the  righteous  dead,  they  have  an  advantage 
over  them  in  being  doubtless  that  company  spoken 
of  in  Dan.  12:  1,  who  are  raised  to  everlasting  life 
at  the  standing  up  of  Michael.  Thus  escaping  the 
perils  through  which  the  rest  of  the  144,000  pass, 
they  rise  and  share  with  them  in  their  final  triumph 
here,  and  occupy  with  them  their  pre-eminent  place 
hi  the  kingdom.*  In  this  way  we  understand  their 
works  follow  them:  These  works  are  held  in  re- 

*  We  understand  that  all  who  die  in  this  message  help  compose 
the  144,000,  inasmuch  as  just  that  number  is  sealed  in  the  sealing 
work  of  Kev .  7,  which  is  but  another  prophecy  of  the  third  an- 
gel's message.  Those  who,  having  had  an  experience  in  this  work, 
go  down  into  the  grave,  are  an  exception  to  the  general  statement 
that  they  (the  144,000)  come  up  through  great  tribulation.  The 


718  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

membrance,  to  be  rewarded  at  the  Judgment;  and 
the  persons  receive  the  same  recompense  they  would 
have  had,  had  they  lived  and  faithfully  endured  all 
the  perils  of  the  time  of  trouble. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  in  this  line  of  prophecy, 
three  angels  precede  the  Son  of  man  on  the  white 
cloud,  and  three  are  introduced  after  that  symbol. 
We  understand  that  literal  angels  are  engaged  in 
the  scenes  here  described.  The  first  three  have 
charge  of  the  three  special  messages,  and  may  also 
symbolize  a  body  of  religious  teachers.  The  mes- 
sage of  the  fourth  angel  we  understand  to  be  uttered 
after  the  Son  of  man  takes  his  seat  upon  the  white 
cloud,  having  finished  his  priestly  work,  but  before 
he  appears  in  the  clouds  of  heaven.  As  the  lan- 
guage is  addressed  to  Him  who  is  seated  upon  the 
white  cloud,  having  in  his  hand  a  sharp  sickle  ready 
to  reap,  it  must  denote  a  message  of  prayer  on  the 
part  of  the  church,  after  their  work  is  done,  and 
probation  has  ceased,  and  nothing  remains  but  for 
the  Lord  to  appear  and  take  his  people  to  himself. 
It  is  doubtless  the  day-and-night  cry,  spoken  of  by 
our  Lord  in  Luke  18  :  7,  8,  in  connection  with  the 
coming  of  the  Son  of  man.  And  this  prayer  will 
be  answered.  The  elect  will  be  avenged.  He  that 
is  seated  upon  the  cloud  will  thrust  in  his  sickle, 

fact  that  they  are  raised  from  the  dead  does  not  conflict  with  the 
testimony  of  verse  4,  that  they  are  "redeemed  from  among  men," 
that  is  from  among  the  living;  for  they  are  raised  only  to  mortal 
life,  and  receive  immortality  or  redemption  by  translation  just  like 
those  of  the  righteous  who  have  never  passed  through  the  grave. 


CHAP  TEE  XIV,   VERSES  17-20.  719 

and  the  saints,  under  the  figure  of  the  wheat  of  the 
earth",  will  be  gathered  to  the  heavenly  garner. 

"  And  He  that  sat  on  the  cloud,"  says  the  proph- 
ecy, "thrust  in  his  sickle  on  the  earth;  and  the 
earth  was  reaped."  By  this  language  we  are  car- 
ried down  past  the  second  advent,  with  its  accom- 
panying scenes  of  destruction  to  the  wicked,  and 
salvation  to  the  righteous.  Beyond  these  scenes  we 
must  therefore  look  for  the  application  of  the  fol- 
lowing verses: — 

VERSE  17.  And  another  angel  came  out  of  the  temple 
which  is  in  Heaven,  he  also  having  a  sharp  sickle.  18.  And 
another  angel  came  out  from  the  altar,  which  had  power  over 
fire,  and  cried  with  a  loud  cry  to  him  that  had  the  sharp 
sickle,  saying,  Thrust  in  thy  sharp  sickle,  and  gather  the 
clusters  of  the  vine  of  the  earth ;  for  her  grapes  are  fully 
ripe.  19.  And  the  angel  thrust  in  his  sickle  into  the  earth, 
and  gathered  the  vine  of  the  earth,  and  cast  it  into  the  great 
winepress  of  the  wrath  of  God.  20.  And  the  winepress  was 
trodden  without  the  city,  and  blood  came  out  of  the  wine- 
press, even  unto  the  horses'  bridles,  by  the  space  of  a  thou- 
sand and  six  hundred  furlongs. 

The  last  two  angels  have  to  do  with  the  wicked — 
the  wicked,  most  fitly  represented  by  the  rich  and 
bloated  clusters  of  the  vine  of  the  earth.  May  it  not 
be  that  the  closing  doom  of  that  class,  at  the  end  of 
the  thousand  years,  is  here  presented,  the  prophecy 
thus  making  a  final  disposition  of  both  the  righteous 
and  the  wicked;  the  righteous  clothed  with  immor- 
tality, and  safely  established  in  the  kingdom,  the 
wicked  perishing  around  the  city  at  the  time  of  its 
ultimate  location  upon  the  earth? 


720  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

The  angel  comes  out  of  the  temple,  where  the 
records  are  kept,  and  the  punishment  is  determined. 
The  other  angel  has  power  over  fire.  This  may  have 
some  connection  with  the  fact  that  fire  is  to  be  the 
element  by  which  the  wicked  are  at  last  to  be  de- 
stroyed ;  although  to  carry  out  the  figure,  the  wicked, 
having  been  likened  to  the  clusters  of  the  vine  of 
the  earth,  are  said  to  be  cast  into  the  great  wine- 
press, which  is  trodden  without  the  city.  And  blood 
comes  out  of  the  winepress  even  to  the  horses'  bridles. 
We  know  that  the  wicked  are  doomed  to  be  swal- 
lowed up  at  last  in  a  flood  of  all-devouring  flame 
descending  from  God  out  of  Heaven.  But  what  pre- 
liminary slaughter  may  take  place  among  the 
doomed  host,  we  know  not.  It  is  not  improbable 
that  this  language  will  be  literally  fulfilled. 

As  the  first  four  angels  of  this  series  denoted  a 
movement  on  the  part  of  the  people  of  God,  the  last 
two  may  denote  the  same ;  for  the  saints  are  to  have 
some  part  to  act,  in  meting  out  and  executing  the 
final  punishment  of  the  wicked,  1  Cor.  6:2;  Ps. 
149  :  9. 

Thus  closes  this  chain  of  prophecy — closes  as 
others  close,  with  the  complete  triumph  of  God  and 
Christ  over  all  their  foes,  and  with  the  glorious  sal- 
vation that  awaits  the  faithful  followers  of  the 
Prince  of  life,  forever  secured. 


XV. 


THE  SEVEN  LAST  PLAGUES. 

VERSE  1.  And  I  saw  another  sign  in  heaven,  great  and 
marvelous,  seven  angels  having  the  seven  last  plagues ;  for 
in  them  is  filled  up  the  wrath  of  God.  2.  And  I  saw  as  it 
were  a  sea  of  glass  mingled  with  fire  ;  and  them  that  had 
gotten  the  victory  over  the  beast,  and  over  his  image,  and 
over  his  mark,  and  over  the  number  of  his  name,  stand  on 
the  sea  of  glass,  having  the  harps  of  God.  3.  And  they  sing 
the  song  of  Moses  the  servant  of  God,  and  the  song  of  the 
Lamb,  saying,  Great  and  marvelous  are  thy  works,  Lord  God 
Almighty  ;  just  and  true  are  thy  ways,  thou  King  of  saints. 
4.  Who  shall  not  fear  thee,  O  Lord,  and  glorify  thy  name  ? 
for  thou  only  art  holy ;  for  all  nations  shall  come  and  wor- 
ship before  thee  ;  for  thy  judgments  are  made  manifest.  5. 
And  after  that  I  looked,  and,  behold,  the  temple  of  the 
tabernacle  of  the  testimony  in  Heaven  was  opened  ;  6  ;  And 
the  seven  angels  came  out  of  the  temple,  having  the  seven 
plagues,  clothed  in  pure  and  white  linen,  and  having  their 
breasts  girded  with  golden  girdles.  7.  And  one  of  the 
four  beasts  gave  unto  the  seven  angels  seven  golden  vials 
full  of  the  wrath  of  God,  who  liveth  forever  and  ever.  8. 
And  the  temple  was  filled  with  smoke  from  the  glory  of  God, 
and  from  his  power  ;  and  no  man  was  able  to  enter  into  the 
temple,  till  the  seven  plagues  of  the  seven  angels  were 
fulfilled. 

Thus  reads  the  fifteenth  chapter  entire.  By  it 
we  are  carried  back  to  a  new  series  of  events. 

46 


722  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

The  whole  chapter  is  but  an  introduction  to  the 
most  terrific  judgments  of  the  Almighty,  that  ever 
have  been,  or  are  to  be,  visited  upon  this  earth  in 
its  present  state  ;  namely,  the  seven  last  plagues. 
The  most  that  we  here  behold  is  a  solemn  prepara- 
tion for  the  outpouring  of  these  unmixed  vials. 
Verse  5  shows  that  they  transpire  subsequently  to  the 
last  ministration  in  the  sanctuary;  for  the  temple 
is  opened  before  they  are  poured  out.  They  are 
given  in  charge  to  seven  angels,  and  these  angels 
are  clothed  in  linen  pure  and  white,  a  fit  emblem  of 
the  purity  of  God's  righteousness  and  justice  in  the 
infliction  of  these  judgments.  They  receive  .these 
vials  from  one  of  the  four  beasts.  These  beasts 
were  decided  (see  Thoughts  on  chap.  4,)  to  be  a  class 
of  Christ's  assistants  in  his  sanctuary  work.  How 
appropriate,  then,  that  these  should  be  the  ones  to 
deliver]  to  the  ministers  of  vengeance,  vials  to  be 
poured  upon  those  who  have  slighted  Christ's  mercy, 
abused  his  long-suffering,  heaped  contumely  upon 
his  name,  and  crucified  him  afresh  in  the  treatment 
of  his  followers !  While  the  seven  angels  are  per- 
forming their  fearful  mission,  the  temple  is  filled 
with  the  glory  of  God,  and  no  man,  owfefr,  no  one, 
no  being,  referring  to  Christ  and  his  heavenly 
assistants,  can  enter  therein.  This  shows  that  the 
work  of  mercy  is  closed,  and  there  is  no  ministration 
in  the  sanctuary  during  the  infliction  of  the  plagues ; 
hence  they  are  manifestations  of  the  wrath  of  God, 
without  any  mixture  of  mercy. 


CHAPTER  XV,   VERSES  1-8.  723 

But  in  this  scene  the  people  of  God  are  not  for- 
gotten. The  prophet  is  permitted  to  anticipate  a 
little  in  verses  2-4,  and  behold  them  as  victors  upon 
the  sea  of  glass  as  it  were  mingled  with  fire,  or 
sparkling  and  refulgent  with  the  glory  of  God, 
singing  the  song  of  Moses  and  the  Lamb.  The  sea 
of  glass  upon  which  these  victors  stand,  is  the  same 
as  that  brought  to  view  in  chapter  4 :  6,  which  was 
before  the  throne  in  Heaven.  And  as  we  have  no 
evidence  that  it  has  yet  changed  its  location,  and 
the  saints  are  seen  upon  it,  we  have  here  indubitable 
proof,  in  connection  with  chapter  14  : 1-5,  that  the 
saints  are  taken  to  Heaven  to  receive  a  portion  of 
their  reward.  Thus,  like  the  bright  sun  bursting 
through  the  midnight  cloud,  some  scene  is  presented, 
or  some  promise  given  to  the  humble  followers  of 
the  Lamb,  in  every  hour  of  temptation,  as  if  to 
assure  and  re-assure  them  of  God's  love  and  care  for 
them,  and  of  the  certainty  of  their  final  reward. 
Verily  the  words  of  the  prophet  are  among  the  true 
sayings  of  God:  "Say  ye  to  the  righteous  that  it 
shall  be  well  with  him,"  but,  "  woe  unto  the  wicked! 
it  shall  be  ill  with  him."  Isa.  3: 10,  11. 


XVI. 


THE  SEVEN  LAST  PLAGUES  POURED  OUT. 

THIS  chapter  gives  a  description  of  the  seven  vials 
of  the  unmingled  wrath  of  God,  and  the  effects  that 
follow  as  they  are  poured  upon  the  earth.  Concern- 
ing the  character  and  chronology  of  these  plagues, 
there  is  a  difference  of  opinion  among  Bible  readers. 
Our  first  inquiry,  therefore,  is,  What  is  the  true 
position  on  these  points  ?  Are  they  symbolical 
and  mostly  fulfilled  in  the  past,  as  some  contend?  or 
are  they  literal  and  all  future,  as  others  no  less  con- 
fidently affirm?  A  brief  examination  of  the  testi- 
mony will,  we  think,  settle  conclusively  these  ques- 
tions. 

VERSE  1.  And  I  heard  a  great  voice  out  of  the  temple 
saying  to  the  seven  angels,  Go  your  ways,  and  pour  out  the 
vials  of  the  wrath  of  God  upon  the  earth.  2.  And  the  first 
went,  and  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  earth  ;  and  there  fell 
a  noisome  and  grievous  sore  upon  the  men  which  had  the 
mark  of  the  beast,  and  upon  them  which  worshiped  his 
image. 

This  description  of  the  very  first  plague  sets  us 

on  the  track  of  their  chronology;  for  it  is  poured 

out  upon  those  who  have  the  mark  of  the  beast,  and 

who  worship  his  image, — the  identical  work  against 

(724) 


CHAPTER  XVI,   VERSES  1-2.  725 

which  the  third  angel  warns  us.  This  is  conclusive 
proof  that  these  judgments  are  not  poured  out  till 
after  this  angel  closes  his  work,  and  that  the  very 
class  who  hear  his  warning  and  reject  it,  are  the 
ones  to  receive  the  first  drops  from  the  overflowing 
vials  of  God's  indignation.  Now  if  these  plagues 
are  in  the  past,  the  image  of  the  beast  and  his  wor- 
ship are  in  the  past.  If  these  are  past,  the  two- 
horned  beast,  which  makes  this  image,  and  his  work, 
are  in  the  past.  If  these  are  past,  then  the  third 
angel's  message,  which  warns  us  in  reference  to  this 
work,  is  in  the  past;  and  if  this  is  past,  that  is,  ages 
in  the  past,  where  this  view  locates  the  commence- 
ment of  the  plagues,  then  the  second  and  first  mes- 
sages, which  precede  that,  are  also  ages  in  the  past. 
Then  the  prophetic  periods  on  which  that  message  is 
based,  especially  the  2300  days,  ended  ages  ago. 
And  if  this  is  so,  the  70  weeks  of  Dan.  9  are  thrown 
wholly  into  the  Jewish  dispensation,  and  the  great 
proof  of  the  Messiahship  of  Christ  is  destroyed. 
But  it  has  been  shown  on  chapters  7,  13,  and  14, 
that  the  first  and  second  messages  have  been  given 
in  our  own  day ;  that  the  third  is  now  in  process  of 
accomplishment ;  that  the  two-horned  beast  has  come 
upon  the  stage  of  action,  and  is  preparing  to  act  the 
part  assigned  him;  and  that  the  formation  of  the 
image,  and  the  enforcement  of  the  worship  are  just 
in  the  future.  And  unless  all  these  positions  can  be 
overthrown,  the  seven  last  plagues  must  be  assigned 
to  the  future. 


726  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

But  there  are  other  reasons  for  locating  them  in 
the  future  and  not  in  the  past: — 

1.  Under  the  fifth  plague,  men  blaspheme  God 
because  of  their  sores,   the  same  sores,  of  course, 
caused    by    the   outpouring    of    the    first   plague. 
This  shows  that  these  plagues  all  fall  upon  the  same 
generation  of  men,  some  being  no  doubt  swept  off 
by  each  one,  but  yet  some  surviving  through  the 
terrible  scenes  of  them  all ;  a  fact  utterly  subversive 
of  the  position  that  they  commenced  far  in  the  past, 
and  occupy  centuries  each  in  their  fulfillment;  for 
how  then  could  those  who  experience  the  first  plague 
be  alive  under  the  fifth? 

2.  These   plagues  are  the  wine  of  God's  wrath 
without  mixture,  threatened  by  the  third  angel,  chap. 
14  : 10;  15  :  1.      Such  language  cannot  be  applied 
to   any  judgments   visited   upon   the   earth   while 
Christ  pleads  between  his  Father  and  our  fallen  race. 
Hence  we  must  locate  them  in  the  future,  when  pro- 
bation shall  have  closed. 

3.  Another  and  more  definite  testimony  as  to  the 
commencement   and   duration  of  these  plagues,   is 
found  in  chap.  15:  8:  "And  the  temple  was  filled 
with  smoke  from  the  glory  of  God,  and  from  his 
power;  and  no  man  was  able  to  enter  into  the  tem- 
ple till  the  seven  plagues  of  the  seven  angels  were 
fulfilled."     The  temple  here  introduced  is  evidently 
that  which  is  mentioned  in  chap.  11:  19,  where  it 
says,   ''The  temple  of  God  was  opened  in  Heaven, 
and  there  was  seen  in  his  temple  the  ark  of  his  tes- 
tament."     In  other  words,  we  have  before  us  the 


CHAPTER  XVI,    VERSES  1- 


727 


heavenly  sanctuary.  The  testimony  is,  then,  that 
when  the  seven  angels  with  the  seven  golden  vials 
receive  their  commission,  the  temple  is  filled  with 
smoke  from  the  glory  of  God,  and  no  man  can  en- 
ter into  the  temple,  or  sanctuary,  till  they  have  ful- 
filled their  work;  there  will  therefore  be  no  minis- 
tration hi  the  sanctuary  during  this  time;  conse- 
quently these  vials  are  not  poured  out  till  the  close 
of  the  ministration  in  the  tabernacle  above,  but  im- 
mediately follow  that  event;  for  Christ  is  then  no 
longer  a  mediator;  mercy,  which  has  long  stayed 
the  hand  of  vengeance,  pleads  no  more;  the  servants 
of  God  are  sealed.  What  could  then  be  expected 
but  that  the  "storm  of  vengeance  should  fall,"  and 
earth  be  swept  with  the  besom  of  destruction? 

Having  now  shown  the  chronology  of  these  judg- 
ments, that  they  are  before  us  in  the  very  near  fu- 
ture, treasured  up  against  the  day  of  wrath,  we 
proceed  to  inquire  into  their  nature,  and  what  will 
result  when  the  solemn  and  fearful  mandate  shall  go 
forth  from  the  temple  to  the  seven  angels,  saying, 
"  Go  your  ways,  and  pour  out  the  vials  of  the  wrath 
of  God  upon  the  earth."  Here  we  are  called  to  look 
into  the  "armory  of  the  Lord,"  and  behold  the 
"weapons  of  his  indignation."  Jer.  50:  25.  Here 
are  brought  forth  the  treasures  of  hail,  which  have 
been  reserved  against  the  time  of  trouble,  against 
the  day  of  battle  and  war.  Job  38:  22,  23. 

The  Vials  and  their  Effects.  "And  the  first 
went,  and  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  earth;  and 
there  fell  a  noisome  and  grievous  sore  upon  the  men 


728  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

which  had  the  mark  of  the  beast,  and  upon  them 
which  worshipped  his  image." 

We  know  of  no  reason  why  we  should  not  regard 
this  as  strictly  literal.  These  plagues  are  almost 
identical  with  those  which  God  inflicted  upon  the 
Egyptians  as  he  was  about  to  deliver  his  people  from 
the  yoke  of  bondage;  the  literality  of  which  we 
have  never  heard  called  in  question.  God  is  now 
about  to  crown  his  people  with  their  final  deliver- 
ance and  redemption,  and  his  judgments  will  be 
manifested  in  a  manner  no  less  literal  and  terrible. 
What  the  sore  here  threatened  is,  we  are  not  in- 
formed. Perhaps  it  may  be  similar  to  the  parallel 
plague  which  fell  upon  Egypt.  Ex.  9:  8-11. 

VERSE  3.  And  the  second  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon 
the  sea  ;  and  it  became  as  the  blood  of  a  dead  man  ;  and  ev- 
ery living  soul  died  in  the  sea. 

Probably  a  more  infectious  and  deadly  substance 
can  scarcely  be  conceived  of  than  the  blood  of  a 
dead  man ;  and  the  thought  that  the  great  bodies  of 
water  on  the  earth,  which  are  doubtless  meant  by 
the  term  sea,  will  be  changed  to  such  a  state  under 
this  plague,  presents  a  fearful  picture.  We  have 
here  the  remarkable  fact  that  the  term,  living  soul, 
is  applied  to  irrational  animals,  the  fish  and  living 
creatures  of  the  sea.  This  is,  we  believe,  the  only 
instance  of  such  an  application  in  the  English  version ; 
in  the  original,  however,  it  occurs  frequently ;  show- 
ing that  the  term,  as  applied  to  man  in  the  begin- 
ning, Gen.  2 :  7,  cannot  be  taken  to  show  that  he  is 
endowed  with  any  immaterial  and  immortal  essence. 


CHAPTER  XVI,   VERSES  4-7.  729 

VERSE  4.  And  the  third  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon 
the  rivers  and  fountains  of  waters  ;  and  they  became  blood. 
5.  And  I  heard  the  angel  of  the  waters  say,  Thou  art  right- 
eous, O  Lord,  which  art,  and  wast,  and  shalt  be,  because  thou 
hast  judged  thus.  6.  For  they  have  shed  the  blood  of  saints, 
and  prophets,  and  thou  hast  given  them  blood  to  drink  ;  for 
they  are  worthy.  7.  And  I  heard  another  out  of  the  altar 
say,  Even  so,  Lord  God  Almighty,  true  and  righteous  are  thy 
judgments. 

Such  is  the  description  of  the  terrible  retribution 
for  the  "  blood  of  saints,"  shed  by  violent  hands, 
which  will  be  given  to  those  who  have  done,  or 
wished  to  do,  such  deeds.  And  though  we  can 
hardly  conceive  of  the  horrors  of  that  hour,  when 
the  fountains  and  rivers  of  water  shall  be  like  blood, 
the  justice  of  God  will  stand  vindicated,  his  judg- 
ments approved.  Even  the  angels  are  heard  ex- 
claiming, Thou  art  righteous,  O  Lord,  because  thou 
hast  judged  thus;  for  they  have  shed  the  blood  of 
saints  and  prophets.  Even  so,  Lord  God  Almighty, 
true  and  righteous  are  thy  judgments. 

It  may  be  asked  how  the  last  generation  of  the 
wicked  can  be  said  to  have  shed  the  blood  of  saints 
and  prophets,  since  the  last  generation  of  saints  are 
not  to  be  slain.  A  reference  to  Matt.  23:  34,  35; 
1  John  3:  15,  will  explain.  These  scriptures  show 
that  guilt  attaches  to  motive  no  less  than  to  action. 
And  no  generation  ever  formed  a  more  determined 
purpose  to  give  the  saints  to  indiscriminate  slaugh- 
ter than  the  present  one  will,  not  far  in  the  future. 
See  chap.  12:  17;  13:  15.  In  motive  and  purpose 
they  do  shed  the  blood  of  saints  and  prophets. 


730  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

It  would  seem  that  not  one  of  the  human  race 
could  survive  a  long  continuance  of  a  plague  so  ter- 
rible as  this.  We  hence  conclude  that  this  one  may 
be  limited  in  its  duration,  as  was  the  similar  one  on 
Egypt.  Ex.  7:  17-21. 

VERSE  8.  And  the  fourth  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon 
the  sun  ;  and  power  was  given  unto  him  to  scorch  men  with 
fire.  9.  And  men  were  scorched  with  great  heat  and  blas- 
phemed the  name  of  God,  which  hath  power  over  these 
plagues  ;  and  they  repented  not  to  give  him  glory. 

It  is  worthy  of  notice  that  every  succeeding 
plague  tends  to  augment  the  calamity  of  the  pre- 
vious ones,  and  heighten  the  anguish  of  the  guilty 
sufferers.  We  have  now  a  noisome  and  grievous 
sore  preying  upon  men,  inflaming  their  blood,  and 
pouring  its  feverish  influence  through  their  veins. 
In  addition  to  this  they  have  only  blood  to  allay 
their  burning  thirst;  and,  as  if  to  crown  all,  power 
is  given  unto  the  sun,  and  he  pours  upon  them  a 
flood  of  liquid  fire,  and  they  are  scorched  with  great 
heat.  Here,  as  the  record  runs,  their  woe  first  finds 
utterance  in  horrid  blasphemy. 

VEKSE  10.  And  the  fifth  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon 
the  seat  of  the  beast :  and  his  kingdom  was  full  of  darkness  ; 
and  they  gnawed  their  tongues  for  pain,  11,  And  blas- 
phemed the  God  of  Heaven  because  of  their  pains  and  their 
sores,  and  repented  not  of  their  deeds. 

An  important  fact  is  established  by  this  testi- 
mony :  It  is,  that  the  plagues  do  not  at  once  destroy 
all  their  victims;  for  some  who  were  at  first  smit- 


CHAPTER  XVI,    VERSES  10,  11.  731 

ten  with  sores,  we  find  still  living  under  the  fifth 
vial,  and  gnawing  their  tongues  for  pain.  An  illus- 
tration of  this  vial  will  be  found  in  Ex.  10 :  21-23. 
It  is  poured  upon  the  seat  of  the  beast,  the  papacy. 
The  seat  of  the  beast  is  wherever  the  papal  see  is  lo- 
cated, which  thus  far  has  been,  and  we  think  will 
continue  to  be,  the  city  of  Eome.  "  His  kingdom," 
probably  embraces  all  those  who  are  subjects  of  the 
pope  in  an  ecclesiastical  point  of  view. 

As  those  who  place  the  plagues  in  the  past,  have 
the  first  five  already  wholly  accomplished,  we  here 
pause  a  moment  to  inquire  where  in  past  ages  the 
judgments  here  threatened  have  been  fulfilled.  Can 
judgments  so  terrible  be  inflicted  and  nobody  know 
it  ?  Then  where  is  the  history  of  the  fulfillment  ? 
When  did  a  noisome  and  grievous  sore  fall  upon  a 
specified  and  extensive  portion  of  mankind  ?  When 
did  the  sea  become  as  the  blood  of  a  dead  man,  and 
every  living  soul  die  in  it  ?  When  did  the  f  ountains 
and  rivers  become  blood,  and  people  have  blood  to 
drink  ?  When  did  the  sun  so  scorch  men  with  fire 
as  to  extort  from  them  curses  and  blasphemy  ?  And 
when  did  the  subjects  of  the  beast  gnaw  their 
tongues  for  pain,  and  at  the  same  time  blaspheme 
God  on  account  of  their  sores  ?  Interpreters  who 
thus  foolishly  put  such  scenes  in  the  past,  where  a 
shadow  of  fulfillment  cannot  be  shown,  openly  in- 
vite the  scoffs  and  ridicule  of  the  skeptic  and  infidel 
against  God's  holy  book,  and  furnish  them  with  po- 
tent weapons  for  their  nefarious  work.  In  these 


732  THOUGHTS  ON  TILE  REVELATION. 

plagues,  says  Inspiration,  is  filled  up  the  wrath  of 
God;  but  if  they  can  be  fulfilled  and  nobody  know 
it,  who  shall  henceforth  consider  his  wrath  so  terri- 
ble a  thing,  or  shrink  from  his  judgments  when  they 
are  threatened  ? 

VERSE  12.  And  the  sixth  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon 
the  great  river  Euphrates ;  and  the  water  thereof  was 
dried  up,  that  the  way  of  the  kings  of  the  east  might  be  pre- 
pared. 13.  And  I  saw  three  unclean  spirits  like  frogs  come 
out  of  the  mouth  of  the  dragon,  and  out  of  the  mouth  of  the 
beast,  and  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  false  prophet.  14.  For 
they  are  the  spirits  of  devils,  working  miracles,  which  go 
forth  unto  the  kings  of  the  earth  and  of  the  whole  world,  to 
gather  them  to  the  battle  of  that  great  day  of  God  Almighty. 
15.  Behold,  I  come  as  a  thief.  Blessed  is  he  that  watcheth, 
and  keepeth  his  garments,  lest  he  walk  naked,  and  they  see 
his  shame.  16.  And  he  gathered  them  together  into  a  place 
called  in  the  Hebrew  tongue  Armageddon. 

What  is  the  great  river  Euphrates,  which  is  the 
object  of  this  vial  ?  One  view  is  that  it  is  the  literal 
river  Euphrates  in  Asia ;  the  other  is,  that  it  is  a 
symbol  of  the  nation  occupying  the  territory  through 
which  that  river  flows.  We  incline  to  the  latter 
opinion  for  the  following  reasons : — 

1.  It  would  be  difficult  to  see  what  end  would  be 
gained  by  the  drying  up  of  the  literal  river,  as  that 
would  not  offer  an  obstruction  at  all  serious  to  the 
progress  of  an  advancing  army.  And  it  should  be 
noticed  that  the  drying  up  takes  place  to  prepare 
the  way  of  the  kings  of  the  East,  that  is,  regular 
military  organizations,  and  not  a  promiscuous  and 


CHAPTER  XVI,   VERSES  12-16.  733 

unequipped  crowd  of  men,  women,  and  children, 
like  the  children  of  Israel  at  the  Red  Sea,  or  at  the 
Jordan.  The  Euphrates  is  only  about  1,400  miles 
in  length,  or  about  one-third  the  size  of  the  Missis- 
sippi. Cyrus,  without  difficulty,  turned  the  whole 
river  from  its  channel  at  his  siege  of  Babylon  ;  and 
notwithstanding  the  numerous  wars  that  have  been 
carried  on  along  its  banks,  and  the  mighty  hosts 
that  have  crossed  and  re-crossed  its  stream,  we  have 
never  yet  read  that  it  had  to  be  once  dried  up  to  let 
them  pass. 

2.  It  would  be  as  necessary  to  dry  up  the  river 
Tigris  as  the  Euphrates,  the  source  of  the  former  be- 
ing only  fifteen  miles  from  the  latter,  in  the  mount- 
ains of  Armenia,  and  it  running  nearly  parallel  with, 
and  but  a  short  distance  from,  the  latter  throughout 
its  whole  course.     Yet  the  prophecy  says  nothing  of 
the  Tigris. 

3.  The  literal  drying  up  of  rivers  we  understand 
takes  place  under  the  fourth  vial,  when  power  is 
given  to  the  sun  to  scorch  men  with  fire.     Under 
this  plague  occur  beyond   question   the   scenes   of 
drouth  and  famine  so  graphically  described  by  Joel, 
Chap.  1 : 14-20  ;  and  as  one  result  of  these,  it  is  ex- 
pressly stated  that  "  the  rivers  of  waters  are  dried 
up"     The  Euphrates  will  probably  be  no  exception 
to  this  ;  hence,  not  much  would  remain  to  be  liter- 
ally dried  up  under  the  sixth  vial. 

4.  These   plagues,  from  the  very  nature   of   the 
case,  must  be  manifestations  of   wrath  and  judg- 


734  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

ments  upon  men.  But  if  the  drying  up  of  the  lit- 
eral Euphrates  is  all  that  is  brought  to  view,  this 
plague  is  not  of  such  a  nature,  and  turns  out  to  be 
no  serious  affair,  after  all. 

These  objections  existing  against  considering  it  a 
literal  river,  watered  by  that  river,  it  must  be  under- 
stood figuratively  as  symbolizing  the  power  holding 
possession  of  the  territory,  which  is  the  Ottoman  or 
Turkish  empire. 

1.  It  is  so  used  in  other  places  in  the  Scriptures. 
See  Isa.  8:7;  Rev.   9:14.     In  this  latter  text,  all 
must  concede   that   the   Euphrates   symbolizes  the 
Turkish  power  ;  and  being  the  first  and  only  other 
occurrence  of  the  word  in  the  Revelation,  it  may 
well  be  considered  as  governing  its  use  in  this  book. 

2.  The  drying  up  of  the  river  in  this  sense  would 
be  the  consumption  of  the  Turkish  empire,  accom- 
panied with  more  or  less  destruction  of  its  subjects. 
Thus  we  should  have  literal  judgments  upon  men, 
as  the  result  of  this  plague,  as  in  the  case  of  all  the 
others. 

But,  it  may  be  objected  to  this,  that  while  con- 
tending for  the  literality  of  the  plagues,  we  never- 
theless make  one  of  them  a  symbol.  We  answer, 
No.  A  power  is  introduced,  it  is  true,  under  the 
sixth  vial,  in  its  symbolic  form,  just  as  it  is  under 
the  fifth/where  we  read  of  the  seat  of  the  beast, 
which  is  a  well-known  symbol ;  or  as  we  read  again 
in  the  first  plague  of  the  mark  of  the  beast,  his  im- 
age and  its  worship,  which  are  also  symbols.  All 
that  we  contend  for  is  the  literality  of  the  judg- 


CHAPTER  XVI,   VERSES  12-16.  735 

inents  that  result  from  each  vial,  which  are  literal  in 
this  case,  as  in  all  the  rest. 

Again,  it  may  be  asked  how  the  way  of  the  kings 
of  the  East  will  be  prepared  by  the  drying  up,  or 
consumption,  of  the  Ottoman  power  ?  The  answer 
is  obvious.  For  what  is  the  way  of  these  kings  to 
be  prepared  ?  Ans.  To  come  up  to  the  great  bat- 
tle. Where  is  the  battle  to  be  fought  ?  At  Jeru- 
salem. See  Joel  and  Zephaniah.  But  Jerusalem  is 
in  the  hands  of  the  Turks.  They  hold  possession  of 
the  land  of  Palestine  and  the  sacred  sepulchers. 
This  is  the  bone  of  contention.  On  these  the  na- 
tions have  fixed  their  covetous  and  jealous  eyes. 
But  though  Turkey  now  possesses  them,  and  others 
want  them,  it  is  nevertheless  thought  necessary  to 
the  tranquil ity  of  Europe  that  Turkey  should  be 
maintained  in  her  position,  in  order  to  preserve, 
what  is  called  the  "  balance  of  power."  Her  office 
therefore  at  present  seems  to  be  merely  like  that  of 
a  large  distended  shell,  which,  so  long  as  it  can  be 
kept  from  collapsing,  serves  to  separate  belligerent 
and  hostile  powers.  Therefore  the  allied  powers 
of  Europe  are  pledged  to  sustain  the  integrity  of 
the  Sultan's  throne.  By  them  alone  it  is  now 
maintained,  and  when  they  shall  withdraw  then- 
hands,  and  leave  it  to  itself,  as  we  believe  they  will 
do  under  the  sixth  plague,  that  symbolic  river  will 
be  clean  dried  up,  Turkey  will  be  no  more,  and  the 
way  will  be  all  open  for  the  nations  to  rush  to  the 
Holy  Land.  The  kings  of  the  East,  the  nationalities, 
powers,  and  kingdoms  lying  east  of  Palestine,  will 


736  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

act  a  conspicuous  part  in  the  matter  ;  for  Joel  says 
in  reference  to  this  scene,  Let  "  the  heathen "  be 
wakened  and  come  up  to  the  valley  of  Jehoshaphat. 

Those  who  place  five  of  the  plagues  in  the  past, 
and  contend  that  we  are  now  living  under  the  sixth, 
urge  as  one  of  their  strongest  arguments  the  fact 
that  the  Turkish  empire  is  now  wasting  away  ; 
which  takes  place  under  the  sixth  vial.  We  reply, 
The  event  that  takes  place  under  the  sixth  vial,  is 
the  entire  and  utter  consumption  of  that  power,  not 
its  preliminary  state  of  decay,  which  is  all  that 
we  now  witness.  But  it  is  necessary  that  the  em- 
pire should  for  a  time  grow  weak  and  powerless,  in 
order  to  its  utter  dissolution  when  the  plague  shall 
come.  This  preliminary  condition  we  now  behold; 
the  full  end  cannot  be  far  in  the  future. 

Another  event  to  be  noticed  under  this  plague,  is 
the  issuing  forth  of  the  three  unclean  spirits  to 
gather  the  nations  to  the  great  battle.  We  regard 
the  agency  now  already  abroad  in  the  world,  and 
known  as  Modern  Spiritualism,  as  the  means  to  be 
employed  in  this  work.  But  the  question  may  be 
asked,  how  we  can  think  that  a  work  is  designated 
by  it,  which  is  already  going  on,  when  the  spirits 
are  not  introduced  into  the  prophecy  until  the  sixth 
plague,  which  is  still  future. 

We  answer  that  in  this,  as  in  many  other  things, 
the  agencies  which  Heaven  designs  to  employ  in  the 
accomplishment  of  certain  ends,  are  being  for  a 
while  trained  to  the  part  which  they  are  to  act. 
Thus  before  the  spirits  can  have  such  absolute  au- 


CHAPTER  XVI,    VERSES  12-16.  737 

thority  over  the  race  as  to  gather  them  to  battle 
against  the  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords,  they 
must  first  win  their  way  among  the  nations  of  the 
earth,  and  cause  their  teaching  to  be  received  as  of 
divine  authority,  and  their  word  as  law.  This 
work  they  are  now  doing ;  and  when  they  shall 
have  once  gained  due  influence  over  the  nations  in 
question,  what  fitter  instruments  could  be  employed 
to  gather  them  to  so  rash  and  hopeless  an  enterprise? 

To  many  it  may  seem  incredible  that  the  nations 
should  be  willing  to  engage  in  such  an  unequal  war- 
fare as  to  go  up  to  battle  against  the  Lord  of  hosts ; 
but  it  is  one  province  of  these  spirits  of  devils  to  de- 
ceive ;  for  they  go  forth  working  miracles,  and 
thereby  deceive  the  kings  of  the  earth  that  they 
should  believe  a  lie. 

The  sources  from  which  these  spirits  issue,  denote 
that  they  will  work  among  three  great  religious 
divisions  of  mankind,  represented  by  the  dragon, 
beast,  and  false  prophet,  or,  Paganism,  Catholicism, 
and  Protestantism. 

But  what  is  the  force  of  the  exhortation  in  verse 
15  ?  Probation  must  have  closed,  and  Christ  have 
left  his  mediatorial  position,  before  the  plagues  be- 
gin to  fall.  And  is  there  danger  of  falling  after 
that  ?  It  will  be  noticed  that  this  warning  is 
spoken  in  connection  with  the  working  of  the  spir- 
its. We  infer,  therefore,  that  it  goes  back  and  is 
applicable  from  the  time  these  spirits  begin  to  work, 
to  the  close  of  probation  ;  that  by  an  interchange  of 
tenses,  common  to  the  Greek  language,  the  present 
47 


738  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 


tense  is  put  for  the  past ;  as  if  it  had  read,  Blessed 
is  he  that  hath  watched  and  kept  his  garments  ;  as 
the  shame  and  nakedness  of  all  who  have  not  done 
this,  will  at  this  time  especially  appear. 

"  And  he  gathered  them."  Who  are  the  ones 
here  spoken  of,  to  be  gathered  ?  and  what  agency 
is  to  be  used  in  gathering  them  ?  If  the  word 
them  refers  to  the  kings  of  verse  14,  it  is  certain 
that  no  good  agency  would  be  made  use  of  to 
gather  them  ;  and  if  the  spirits  are  referred  to  by 
the  word  he,  why  is  it  in  the  singular  number? 
The  peculiarity  of  this  construction  has  led  some  to 
read  the  passage  thus:  And  he  [Christ]  gathered 
them  [the  saints]  into  a  place  called  in  the  Hebrew 
tongue,  Armageddon  [the  illustrious  city,  or  New 
Jerusalem].  But  this  position  is  untenable.  The 
following  criticism,  which  appeared  not  long  since 
in  a  religious  magazine,  seems  to  shed  the  true  light 
upon  this  passage.  The  writer  says : — 

"It  seems  to  me  that  verse  16  is  a  continuation 
of  verse  14,  and  that  the  antecedent  of  avrovs  [them] 
is  '  the  kings '  mentioned  in  verse  14.  For  this  lat- 
ter verse  says,  '  Which  go  forth  unto  the  kings  of 
the  earth,  and  of  the  whole  world,  to  gather  them,' 
etc.,  and  in  verse  16  it  says,  'And  he  gathered 
them.'  Now,  in  the  Greek,  '  a  neuter  plural  regu- 
larly takes  a  verb  in  the  singular.'  (See  Sopho- 
cles' Greek  Grammar,  §  151,  1.)  Might  not,  there- 
fore, the  subject  of  the  verb  awjjyayev  [gathered,] 
(verse  16,)  be  ™  wevfjuiTa  [the  spirits,]  of  verse  14, 


CHAPTER  XVI,    VERSES  12-16.  739 

and  thus  the  '  gathering '  mentioned  in  the  two 
verses,  be  one  and  the  same  ? 

"  And  if  this  is  to  be  a  gathering  of  '  the  kings  of 
the  earth,  and  of  the  whole  world,'  will  it  not  be  for 
the  purpose  mentioned  in  the  text,  viz.,  'to  gather 
them  to  the  battle  of  that  great  day  of  God  Al- 
mighty ? ' " 

In  accordance  with  this  criticism  we  find  several 
translations  using  the  plural  instead  of  the  singular 
pronoun. 

Mr.  Wakefield  in  his  translation  of  the  New  Tes- 
tament renders  this  verse  thus  :  "  And  the  spirits 
gathered  the  kings  together  at  a  place  called  in  He- 
brew, Armageddon." 

The  Syriac  Testament  reads  :  "  And  they  col- 
lected them  together  in  a  place  called  in  Hebrew, 
Armageddon." 

Sawyer's  translation  renders  it :  "  And  they  as- 
sembled them  in  the  place  called  in  Hebrew,  Arma- 
geddon." 

Mr.  Wesley's  version  of  the  New  Testament 
reads  :  "And  they  gathered  them  together  to  the 
place  which  is  called  in  the  Hebrew,  Armageddon." 

Whiting's  translation  gives  it:  "And  they  gath- 
ered them  into  a  place  called  in  Hebrew,  Arma- 
geddon." 

Prof.  Stuart  of  Andover  College,  a  distinguished 
critic,  though  not  a  translator  of  the  Scriptures, 
render  it :  "  And  THEY  gathered  them  together," 
etc.  De  Wette,  a  German  translator  of  the  Bible, 
gives  it  the  same  turn  as  Stuart  and  the  others. 


740  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  HEY  ELATION. 

Mr.  Albert  Barnes,  whose  Notes  on  the  New 
Testament  are  so  extensively  used,  refers  to  the 
same  grammatical  law  as  suggested  by  the  criticism 
above  quoted,  and  says,  "The  authority  of  De 
Wette  and  Prof.  Stuart  is  sufficient  to  show  that 
the  construction  which  they  adopt  is  authorized  by 
the  Greek,  as  indeed  no  one  can  doubt,  and  perhaps 
this  construction  accords  better  with  the  context 
than  any  other  construction  proposed."  Thus  it 
will  be  seen  that  there  are  weighty  reasons  for  read- 
ing the  text,  "they  gathered  them  together,"  etc., 
instead  of  "he  gathered."  And  by  these  authorities 
it  is  shown  that  the  persons  gathered  are  the  min- 
ions of  Satan,  not  saints  ;  that  it  is  the  work  of  the 
spirits,  not  of  Christ  ;  and  that  the  place  of  assem- 
blage is  not  in  the  New  Jerusalem  at  the  marriage 
supper  of  the  Lamb,  but  at  Armageddon  (or  Mount 
Megiddo),  "  at  the  battle  of  that  great  day  of  God 
Almighty." 

Mount  Megiddo,  overlooking  the  plain  in  the  half 
tribe  of  Manasseh,  was  the  place  in  which  Barak 
and  Deborah  destroyed  Si  sera's  army,  and  in  which 
Josiah  was  routed  by  Pharaoh  Necho. 

VERSE  17.  And  the  seventh  angel  poured  out  his  vial  into 
the  air  ;  and  there  came  a  great  voice  out  of  the  temple  of 
Heaven,  from  the  throne,  saying,  It  is  done.  18.  And  there 
were  voices,  and  thunders,  and  lightnings  ;  and  there  was  a 
great  earthquake,  such  as  was  not  since  men  were  upon  the 
earth,  so  mighty  an  earthquake,  and  so  great.  19.  And  the 
great  city  was  divided  into  three  parts,  and  the  cities  of  the 
nations  fell ;  and  great  Babylon  came  in  remembrance  before 
God,  to  give  unto  her  the  cup  of  the  wine  of  the  fierceness 


CHAPTER  XVI,    VERSES  17-21. 


of  his  wrath.  20.  And  every  island  fled  away,  and  the 
mountains  were  not  found.  21.  And  there  fell  upon  men  a 
great  hail  out  of  heaven,  every  stone  about  the  weight  of  a 
talent  ;  and  men  blasphemed  God  because  of  the  plague  of 
the  hail  ;  for  the  plague  thereof  was  exceeding  great. 

Thus  has  inspiration  described  to  us  the  last 
judgment  which  God  has  appointed  to  rebellious 
man  in  his  present  state.  Some  of  the  plagues  we 
have  seen  are  local  in  their  application  ;  but  this 
one  is  poured  out  into  the  air.  The  air  envelops  the 
whole  earth  ;  hence  we  may  conclude  that  this 
plague  will  envelop  equally  the  habitable  globe.  It 
will  be  universal.  The  air  will  be  tainted. 

The  gathering  of  the  nations  having  taken  place 
under  the  sixth  vial,  the  battle  remains  to  be  fought 
under  the  seventh  ;  and  we  here  find  brought  to 
view  the  instrumentalities  with  which  God  will  slay 
the  wicked.  At  this  time  it  may  be  said,  "The 
Lord  hath  opened  his  armory,  and  brought  forth  the 
weapons  of  his  indignation." 

There  were  voices.  Above  all  will  be  heard  the 
voice  of  God.  The  Lord  also  shall  roar  out  of  Zion, 
and  utter  his  voice  from  Jerusalem  ;  and  the  heav- 
ens and  the  earth  shall  shake.  But  the  Lord  will 
be  the  hope  of  his  people,  and  the  strength  of  the 
children  of  Israel."  Joel  3:  16.  See  also  Jer.  25  : 
30  ;  Heb.  12  :  26.  This  will  cause  the  great  earth- 
quake such  as  was  not  since  men  were  upon  the 
earth. 

And  thunders  and  lightnings.  Allusion  again  to 
the  judgments  of  Egypt.  See  Ex.  9:23.  The 


742  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

great  city  is  divided  into  three  parts  ;  that  is,  the 
three  grand  divisions  of  the  false  and  apostate  relig- 
ion of  the  world  (the  great  city),  Paganism,  Cathol- 
icism, and  backslidden  Protestantism,  seem  to  be  set 
apart  each  to  receive  its  appropriate  doom.  The 
cities  of  the  nations  fall.  Universal  desolation 
spreads  over  the  earth.  Every  island  flees  away  and 
the  mountains  are  not  found.  And  great  Babylon 
comes  in  remembrance  before  God.  Read  her  judg- 
ments more  fully  in  chap.  18. 

Some  faint  idea  of  the  terrible  effect  of  such  a 
scene  as  is  here  predicted,  may  be  inferred  from  the 
following  sketch  of  a  hailstorm  on  the  Bosporus,  by 
our  countryman,  the  late  Commodore  Porter,  in 
his  "Letters  from  Constantinople  and  its  Environs," 
vol.  i.,  p.  44.  He  says : — 

"  We  had  got  perhaps  a  mile  and  a  half  on  our 
way,  when  a  cloud,  rising  in  the  west,  gave  indica- 
tions of  .approaching  rain.  In  a  few  minutes  we 
discovered  something  falling  from  the  heavens  with 
a  heavy  splash,  and  with  a  whitish  appearance.  I 
could  not  conceive  what  it  was,  but  observing  some 
gulls  near,  I  supposed  it  to  be  them  darting  for  fish  ; 
but  soon  after  discovered  that  they  were  large  balls 
of  ice  falling.  Immediately  we  heard  a  sound  like 
rumbling  thunder,  or  ten  thousand  carriages  rolling 
furiously  over  the  pavement.  The  whole  Bospo- 
rus was  in  a  foam,  as  though  heaven's  artillery  had 
been  charged  upon  us  and  our  frail  machine.  Our 
fate  seemed  inevitable ;  our  umbrellas  were  raised  to 
protect  us ;  the  lumps  of  ice  stripped  them  into  rib- 


CHAPTER  XVI,   VERSES  17-21.  743 

bons.  We  fortunately  had  a  bullock's  hide  in  the 
boat,  under  which  we  crawled,  and  saved  ourselves 
from  further  injury.  One  man  of  the  three  oarsmen 
had  his  hand  literally  smashed  ;  another  was  much 
injured  in  the  shoulder;  Mr.  H.  received  a  blow  in 
the  leg ;  my  right  hand  was  somewhat  disabled,  and 
all  more  or  less  injured. 

"  It  was  the  most  awful  and  terrific  scene  I  ever 
witnessed,  and  God  forbid  that  I  ever  should  be  ex- 
posed to  another  !  Balls  of  ice  as  large  as  my  two 
fists  fell  into  the  boat,  and  some  of  them  fell  with 
such  violence  as  certainly  to  have  broken  an  arm  or 
leg  had  they  struck  us  in  those  parts.  One  of  them 
struck  the  blade  of  an  oar  and  split  it.  The  scene 
lasted  perhaps  five  minutes  ;  but  it  was  five  min- 
utes of  the  most  awful  feelings  I  ever  experienced. 
When  it  passed  over,  we  found  the  surrounding  hills 
covered  with  masses  of  ice ;  I  cannot  call  it  hail ; 
the  trees  stripped  of  their  leaves  and  limbs ;  and 
everything  looking  desolate.  The  scene  was  awful, 
beyond  all  description ! 

"  I  have  witnessed  repeated  earthquakes ;  the 
lightning  has  played,  as  it  were,  about  my  head ; 
the  wind  roared,  and  the  waves  at  one  moment  have 
thrown  me  to  the  sky,  and  the  next  have  sunk  me 
into  a  deep  abyss.  I  have  been  in  action,  and  have 
seen  death  and  destruction  around  me  in  every  shape 
of  horror  ;  but  I  never  before  had  the  feeling  of  awe 
which  seized  me  on  this  occasion,  and  still  haunts, 
and  I  fear  forever  will  haunt,  me.  My  porter,  the 
boldest  of  my  family,  who  had  ventured  an  instant 


744  THOUGHTS  ON  THE,  REVELATION. 

from  the  door,  had  been  knocked  down  by  a  hail- 
stone, and  had  they  not  dragged  him  in  by  the  heels, 
would  have  been  battered  to  death.  Two  boatmen 
were  killed  in  the  upper  part  of  the  village,  and  I 
have  heard  of  broken  bones  in  abundance.  Imag- 
ine to  yourself  the  heavens  suddenly  frozen  over, 
and  as  suddenly  broken  to  pieces  in  irregular  masses 
of  from  half  a  pound  to  a  pound  weight,  and  precip- 
itated to  the  earth." 

Reader,  if  such  were  the  desolating  effects  of  a  hail- 
storm of  ice,  which  discharged  stones  the  size  of  a 
man's  fist,  weighing  at  most  a  pound  or  so,  who  can 
depict  the  consequences  of  that  coming  storm  in 
which  , '  EVERY  STONE  "  shall  be  of  the  weight  of  a 
talent  ?  As  sure  as  God's  word  is  truth,  he  is  thus 
soon  to  punish  a  guilty  world.  May  it  be  ours,  ac- 
cording to  the  promise,  to  have  "sure  dwellings" 
and  "quiet  resting  places"  in  that  terrific  hour. 
Isa.  32  : 18,  19. 

And  there  fell  upon  men  a  great  hail  out  of  heaven. 
This  is  the  last  instrumentality  brought  to  bear 
upon  the  shelterless  heads  of  the  wicked — the  bitter 
dregs  of  the  seventh  vial.  God  has  solemnly  de- 
clared to  the  wicked,  saying,  "  Judgment  also  will  I 
lay  to  the  line,  and  righteousness  to  the  plummet ; 
and  the  hail  shall  sweep  away  the  refuge  of  lies  and 
the  waters  shall  overflow  the  hiding-place."  Isa. 
28  : 17.  See  also  Isa.  30  :  30.  And  he  asks  Job  if 
he  has  seen  the  treasures  of  the  hail,  which  he  has 
reserved  against  the  time  of  trouble,  against  the  day 
of  battle  and  war.  Job  38  :  22,  23. 


CHAPTER  XVI,    VERSE  17-21.  745  ( 

Every  stone  about  the  weight  of  a  talent.  A  tal- 
ent, according  to  various  authorities,  as  a  weight,  is 
about  fifty-seven  pounds  avoirdupois.  What  could 
withstand  the  force  of  stones  of  such  an  enormous 
weight  falling  from  heaven  ?  But  mankind,  at  this 
time,  will  have  no  shelter.  The  cities  have  fallen  in 
a  mighty  earthquake,  the  islands  have  fled  away, 
and  the  mountains  are  not  found.  Again  the 
wicked  give  vent  to  their  woe  in  blasphemy  ;  for  the 
plague  of  the  hail  is  "  exceeding  great." 

"  And  there  came  a  great  voice  out  of  the  temple 
of  Heaven  from  the  throne,  saying,  It  is  done  ! " 
Thus  all  is  finished.  The  cup  of  human  guilt  has 
been  rilled  up.  The  last  soul  has  availed  itself  of  the 
plan  of  salvation.  The  books  are  closed.  The  num- 
ber of  the  saved  is  completed.  The  final  period  is 
placed  to  this  world's  history.  The  vials  of  God's 
wrath  are  poured  out  upon  a  corrupt  generation. 
The  wicked  have  drunk  them  to  the  dregs,  and  sunk 
into  the  realm  of  death  for  a  thousand  years. 
Reader,  where  do  you  wish  to  be  found  after  that 
great  decision  ? 

But  what  is  the  condition  of  the  saints  while  the 
"overflowing  scourge"  is  passing  over?  They  are 
the  special  subjects  of  God's  protection,  without 
whose  notice  not  a  sparrow  falls  to  the  ground. 
Many  are  the  promises  which  come  crowding  in  to 
afford  them  comfort,  summarily  contained  in  the 
beautiful  and  expressive  language  of  the  psalm, 
which  alone  we  have  space  to  quote  : — 

Ps.  91 :  2-10.     "  I  will  say  of  the  Lord,  he  is  my 


746  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

refuge  and  my  fortress  ;  my  God,  in  him  will  I  trust. 
Surely  he  shall  deliver  thee  from  the  snare  of  the 
fowler,  and  from  the  noisome  pestilence.  He  shall 
cover  thee  with  his  feathers,  and  under  his  wings 
shalt  thou  trust ;  his  truth  shall  be  thy  shield  and 
buckler.  Thou  shalt  not  be  afraid  for  the  terror  by 
night ;  nor  for  the  arrow  that  flieth  by  day ;  nor 
for  the  pestilence  that  walketh  in  darkness,  nor  for 
the  destruction  that  wasteth  at  noon-day.  A  thou- 
sand shall  fall  at  thy  side,  and  ten  thousand  at  thy 
right  hand ;  but  it  shall  not  come  nigh  thee.  Only 
with  thine  eyes  shalt  thou  behold  and  see  the  reward 
of  the  wicked.  Because  thou  hast  made  the  Lord, 
which  is  my  refuge,  even  the  Most  High,  thy  hab- 
itation ;  there  shall  no  evil  befall  thee,  neither  shall 
any  plague  come  nigh  thy  dwelling." 


XVII. 


BABYLON— THE  MOTHER. 

VERSE  1.  And  there  came  one  of  the  seven  angels  which 
had  the  seven  vials,  and  talked  with  me,  saying  unto  me, 
Come  hither;  I  will  shew  unto  thee  the  judgment  of  the 
great  whore  that  sitteth  upon  many  waters  ;  2  ;  With  whom 
the  kings  of  the  earth  have  committed  fornication,  and  the 
inhabitants  of  the  earth  have  been  made  drunk  with  the 
wine  of  her  fornication.  3.  So  he  carried  me  away  in  the 
Spirit  into  the  wilderness  ;  and  I  saw  a  woman  sit  upon  a 
scarlet-colored  beast,  full  of  names  of  blasphemy,  having 
seven  heads  and  ten  horns.  4.  And  the  woman  was  arrayed 
in  purple  and  scarlet  color,  and  decked  with  gold  and  pre- 
cious stones  and  pearls,  having  a  golden  cup  in  her  hand  full 
of  abominations  and  nlthiness  of  her  fornication  :  5  :  And 
upon  her  forehead  was  a  name  written,  Mystery,  Babylon 
the  Great,  the  Mother  of  Harlots,  and  Abominations  of  the 
Earth. 

In  verse  19  of  the  preceding  chapter,  we  were 
informed  that  "  great  Babylon  came  in  remembrance 
before  God,  to  give  unto  her  the  cup  of  the  wine  of 
the  fierceness  of  his  wrath."  The  apostle  now  takes 
up  more  particularly  the  subject  of  this  Great  Baby- 
lon ;  and  in  order  to  a  full  presentation  of  it,  goes 
back  and  gives  some  of  the  facts  of  her  past  history. 
That  this  apostate  woman  is  a  symbol  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  church,  is  generally  believed  by  Protestants. 

'(747) 


748  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

Between  this  church  and  the  kings  of  the  earth  there 
has  been  illicit  connection,  and  with  the  wine  of  her 
fornication,  or  her  false  doctrines,  the  inhabitants  of 
the  earth  have  been  made  drunk. 

This  prophecy  is  more  definite  than  others 
applicable  to  the  Roman  power,  in  that  it  distin- 
guishes between  church  and  State.  We  here  have 
the  woman,  the  church,  seated  upon  a  scarlet-colored 
beast,  the  civil  power,  by  which  she  is  upheld,  and 
which  she  controls  and  guides  to  her  own  ends,  as  a 
rider  controls  a  horse. 

The  vesture  and  decorations  of  this  woman,  as 
brought  to  view  in  verse  4,  are  in  striking  harmony 
with  the  application  made  of  this  symbol  ;  for  purple 
and  scarlet  are  the  chief  colors  in  the  robes  of  popes 
and  cardinals  ;  and  among  the  myriads  of  precious 
stones  which  adorn  her  service,  according  to  an  eye- 
witness, silver  is  scarcely  known,  and  gold  itself  looks 
but  poorly.  And  from  the  golden  cup  in  her 
hand,  symbol  of  purity  of  doctrine  and  profession, 
which  should  have  contained  only  that  which  is 
pure,  upright,  and  in  accordance  with  truth,  there 
came  forth  only  abominations,  and  wine  of  her  for- 
nication, fit  symbol  of  her  abominable  doctrines,  and 
still  more  abominable  practices. 

This  woman  is  explicitly  called  Babylon.  Is  Rome, 
then,  Babylon,  to  the  exclusion  of  all  other  religious 
bodies  ?  No  ;  from  the  fact  that  she  is  called  the 
mother  of  harlots,  which  shows  that  there  are  other 
independent  religious  organizations,  which  consti- 
tute the  apostate  daughters,  and  belong  to  the  same 
great  family. 


CHAPTER  XVII,   VERSES  6-10.  749 

YERSE  6.  And  I  saw  the  woman  drunken  with  the  blood 
of  the  saints,  and  with  the  blood  of  the  martyrs  of  Jesus ; 
and  when  I  saw  her,  I  wondered  with  great  admiration.  7. 
And  the  angel  said  unto  me,  Wherefore  didst  thou  marvel  ? 
I  -will  tell  thee  the  mystery  of  the  woman,  and  of  the  beast 
that  carrieth  her,  which  hath  the  seven  heads  and  ten  horns. 

Why  should  John  wonder  with  great  astonish- 
ment when  he  saw  the  woman  drunken  with  the 
blood  of  saints  ?  Was  persecution  of  the  people  of 
God  any  strange  thing  in  his  day  ?  Had  he  not 
.ceen  Rome  launch  its  most  fiery  anathemas  against 
the  church,  being  himself  in  banishment  under  its 
cruel  power  at  the  time  he  wrote  ?  Why,  then, 
should  he  be  astonished  as  he  looked  forward  and 
saw  Rome  still  persecuting  the  saints  ?  The  secret 
of  his  wonder  was  just  this:  All  the  persecution  he 
had  witnessed  had  been  from  pagan  Rome,  the  open 
enemy  of  Christ.  It  was  not  strange  that  pagans 
should  persecute  Christ's  followers.  But  when  he 
looked  forward  and  saw  a  church  professedly  Chris- 
tian, persecuting  the  followers  of  the  Lamb,  and 
drunken  with  their  blood,  he  could  but  wonder  with 
great  amazement. 

VERSE  8.  The  beast  that  thou  sawest  was,  and  is  not ; 
and  shall  ascend  out  of  the  bottomless  pit,  and  go  into  per- 
dition ;  and  they  that  dwell  on  the  earth  shall  wonder, 
whose  names  were  not  written  in  the  book  of  life  from  the 
foundation  of  the  world,  when  they  behold  the  beast  that 
was,  and  is  not,  and  yet  is.  9.  And  here  is  the  mind  which 
hath  wisdom.  The  seven  heads  are  seven  mountains,  on 
which  the  woman  sitteth.  10.  And  there  are  seven  kings ; 
five  are  fallen,  and  one  is,  and  the  other  is  not  yet  come  ; 


750  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

and  when  he  cometh,  he  must  continue  a  short  space.  11. 
And  the  beast  that  was,  and  is  not,  even  he  is  the  eighth, 
and  is  of  the  seven,  and  goeth  into  perdition. 

The  beast  of  which  the  angel  here  speaks  is  evi- 
dently the  scarlet  beast.  A  wild  beast  like  the  one 
thus  introduced,  is  the  symbol  of  an  oppressive  and 
persecuting  pow.er  ;  and  while  the  Roman  power,  as 
a  nation,  had  a  long,  uninterrupted  existence,  it 
passed  through  certain  phases,  during  which  this 
symbol  would  be  inapplicable  to  it,  and  during 
which  time,  consequently  the  beast,  in  such  prophe- 
cies as  the  present,  might  be  said  not  to  be,  or  not  to 
exist.  Thus  :  Rome  in  its  pagan  form  was  a  perse- 
cuting power  in  its  relation  to  the  people  of  God, 
during  which  time  it  constituted  the  beast  that  was. 
But  the  empire  was  nominally  converted  to  Chris- 
tianity. There  was  a  transition  from  paganism  to 
another  phase  of  religion,  falsely  called  Christian  ; 
and  during  a  brief  period,  while  this  transition  was 
going  on,  it  lost  its  ferocious  and  persecuting  char- 
acter, and  then  it  could  be  said  of  the  beast,  that  it 
was  not.  Time  passed  on,  and  it  degenerated  into 
popery,  and  again  assumed  its  blood-thirsty  and 
oppressive  character,  and  then  constituted  the  beas,t 
that  "  yet  is,"  or  in  John's  day  was  to  be. 

The  seven  heads  are  explained  to  be,  first,  seven 
mountains,  and  then  seven  kings  or  forms  of  govern- 
ment; for  the  expression  in  verse  10,  "  and  there  are 
seven  kings,"  should  read,  and  these  are  seven  kings. 
Five  are  fallen,  says  the  angel,  or  passed  away  ;  one 
is  ;  the  sixth ,  was  then  reigning  :  another  was  to 


CHAPTER  XVII,   VERSES  8-11.  751 

. _ _ 

come,  and  continue  a  short  space  ;  and  when  the 
beast  -re-appeared  in  its  bloody  and  persecuting  char- 
acter, it  was  to  be  under  the  eighth  form  of  govern- 
ment which  was  to  continue  till  the  beast  went  into 
perdition.  The  seven  forms  of  government  that  have 
existed  in  the  Roman  empire,  are  usually  enumerated 
as  follows:  1.  Kingly.  2.  Consular.  3.  Decem- 
virate.  4.  Dictatorial.  5.  Triumvirate.  6.  Impe- 
rial ;  and  7.  Papal.  Kings,  Consuls,  Decemvirs, 
Dictators,  and  Triumvirs,  had  passed  away  in  John's 
day.  He  was  living  under  the  imperial  form.  Two 
more  were  to  arise  after  his  time.  One  was  only  to 
continue  a  short  space,  and  hence  is  not  usually  reck- 
oned among  the  heads  ;  while  the  last,  which  is  usu- 
ally denominated  the  seventh,  is  in  reality  the  eighth. 
The  head  which  was  to  succeed  the  imperial  and 
continue  a  short  space  could  not  be  the  papal  ;  for 
that  has  continued  longer  than  all  the  rest  put 
together.  We  understand,  therefore,  that  the  papal 
head  is  the  eighth,  and  that  a  head  of  short  continu- 
ance intervened  between  the  imperial  and  papal.  In 
fulfillment  of  this,  we  read  that  after  the  imperial 
form  had  been  abolished,  there  was  a  ruler  who,  for 
about  the  space  of  60  years,  governed  Rome  under 
the  title  of  the  "  Exarchate  of  Ravenna."  Thus  we 
have  the  connecting  link  between  the  imperial  and 
papal  heads.  The  third  phase  of  the  beast  that  was, 
and  is  not,  and  yet  is,  is  the  Roman  power  under  the 
rule  of  the  papacy,  and  in  this  form  it  ascends  out  of 
the  bottomless  pit,  or  bases  its  power  on  pretensions 
which  have  no  foundation  but  a  mixture  of  Chris- 
tian errors  and  pagan  superstitions. 


752  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

VERSE  12.  And  the  ten  horns  which  them  sawest  are  ten 
kings,  which  have  received  no  kingdom  as  yet ;  but  receive 
power  as  kings  one  hour  with  the  beast.  13.  These  have 
one  mind,  and  shall  give  their  power  and  strength  unto  the 
beast.  14.  These  shall  make  war  with  the  Lamb,  and  the 
Lamb  shall  overcome  them  ;  for  he  is  Lord  of  lords,  and 
King  of  kings ;  and  they  that  are  with  him  are  called,  and 
chosen,  and  faithful. 

On  the  subject  of  the  ten  horns,  there  is  no  con- 
troversy. All  agree  that  they  symbolize  the  ten 
kingdoms  that  arose  out  of  the  Roman  empire, 
namely,  the  Huns,  Ostrogoths,  Visigoths,  Franks, 
Vandals,  Suevi,  Burgundians,  Heruli,  Anglo-Saxons, 
and  Lombards.  They  receive  power  one  hour  [  Gr. 
«pa,  hora,  an  indefinite  space  of  time,]  with  the 
beast  ;  that  is,  they  reign  a  length  of  time  contem- 
poraneously with  the  beast,  during  which  time  they 
give  to  it  their  power  and  strength. 

Croly  in  his  work  on  the  Apocalypse,  offers  this 
comment  on  verse  12  :  "  The  prediction  defines  the 
epoch  of  the  papacy  by  the  formation  of  the  ten 
kingdoms  of  the  western  empire.  '  They  shall  receive 
power  one  hour  with  the  beast.'  The  translation 
should  be,  '  in  the  same  era '  ( fiiav  fyav ).  The  ten 
kingdoms  shall  be  contemporaneous,  in  contradis- 
tinction to  the  '  seven  heads/  which  were  successive!' 

This  language  must  refer  to  the  past,  when  the 
kingdoms  of  Europe  were  unanimous  in  giving  their 
support  to  the  papacy,  and  upholding  it  in  all  its 
pretensions.  It  cannot  apply  to  the  future  ;  for 
after  the  commencement  of  the  time  of  the  end,  they 
were  to  take  away  its  power,  and  consume  and  destroy 


CHAPTER  XVII,   VERSES  15-18.  753 

it  to  the  end  ;  Dan.  7  :  26  ;  and  the  treatment  which 
these  kingdoms  are  finally  to  bestow  upon  it,  is 
expressed  in  verse  16,  where  it  is  said  that  they  shall 
hate  the  harlot,  make  her  desolate  and  naked,  eat 
her  flesh,  and  burn  her  with  fire. 

These  make  war  with  the  Lamb,  verse  14.  Here 
we  are  carried  into  the  future  to  the  time  of  the 
great  and  final  battle  ;  for  at  this  time  the  Lamb 
has  assumed  the  title  of  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of 
lords,  a  title  which  he  does  not  assume  till  his  second 
coming.  Chap.  19  :  11-16. 

VERSE  15.  And  he  saith  unto  me,  The  waters  .which  thou 
sawest,  where  the  whore  sitteth,  are  peoples,  and  multitudes, 
and  nations  and  tongues.  16.  And  the  ten  horns  which 
thou  sawest  upon  the  beast,  these  shall  hate  the  whore,  and 
shall  make  her  desolate  and  naked,  and  shall  eat  her  flesh, 
and  burn  her  with  fire.  17.  For  God  hath  put  in  their 
hearts  to  fulfill  his  will,  and  to  agree,  and  give  their  king- 
dom unto  the  beast,  until  the  words  of  God  shall  be  ful- 
filled. 18.  And  the  woman  which  thou  sawest  is  that  great 
city,  which  reigneth  over  the  kings  of  the  earth. 

In  verse  15,  we  have  simply  a  definition  of  the 
scripture  symbol  of  waters ;  they  denote  peoples, 
multitudes,  nations,  and  tongues.  The  angel  told 
John,  while  calling  his  attention  to  this  subject,  that 
he  would  show  him  the  judgment  of  this  great  har- 
lot. In  verse  16,  that  judgment  is  specified.  This 
chapter,  has,  we  think,  more  especial  reference  to 
the  old  mother,  or  Catholic  Babylon.  In  the-  next 
chapter,  if  we  mistake  not,  we  find  brought  to  view 
the  character  and  destiny  of  another  great  branch 

of  Babylon,  namely,  the  harlot  daughters. 
48 


XVIII. 


BABYLON— THE    DAUGHTERS. 

VERSE  1.  And  after  these  things  I  saw  another  angel 
come  down  from  Heaven,  having  great  power ;  and  the  earth 
was  lightened  with  his  glory.  2.  And  he  cried  mightily 
with  a  strong  voice,  saying,  Babylon  the  great  is  fallen,  is 
fallen,  and  is  become  the  habitation  of  devils,  and  the  hold 
of  every  foul  spirit,  and  a  cage  of  every  unclean  and  hateful 
bird.  3.  For  all  nations  have  drunk  of  the  wine  of  the 
wrath  of  her  fornication,  and  the  kings  of  the  earth  have 
committed  fornication  with  her,  and  the  merchants  of  the 
earth  are  waxed  rich  through  the  abundance  of  her  delica- 
cies. 

Some  movement  of  mighty  power  is  symbolized 
in  these  verses.  The  consideration  of  a  few  facts 
will  guide  us  unmistakably  to  the  application.  In 
chapter  14,  we  had  a  message  announcing  the  fall 
of  Babylon.  Babylon  is  a  term  which  embraces 
not  only  the  Roman  Catholic  church,  but  religious 
bodies  which  have  sprung  from  her,  bringing  many  of 
her  errors  and  traditions  along  with  them. 

The  fall  of  Babylon  here  spoken  of  cannot  be  lit- 
eral destruction  ;  for  there  are  events  to  take  place  in 
Babylon  after  her  fall,  which  utterly  forbid  this  idea ; 
as,  for  instance,  the  people  of  God  are  there  after  her 
fall,  and  are  called  out  in  order  that  they  may  not 

(754) 


CHAPTER  XVIII,   VERSES  2-3.  755 

receive  of  her  plagues  ;  and  in  these  plagues  is  em- 
braced her  literal  destruction.  The  fall  is  therefore 
a  moral  one  ;  for  the  result  of  it  is,  that  Babylon 
becomes  the  habitation  of  devils,  and  the  hold  of  every 
foul  spirit,  and  the  cage  of  every  unclean  and  hateful 
bird  ;  she,  as  a  consequence  of  her  fall,  piles  up  an 
accumulation  of  sins  even  to  the  heavens,  and 
becomes  subject  to  the  judgments  of  God  which  can 
no  longer  be  delayed. 

And  since  the  fall  here  introduced  is  a  moral  one, 
it  must  apply  to  some  branch  of  Babylon  besides,  or 
outside  of,  the  pagan  or  papal  divisions  ;  for  the 
false  character  of  the  one.  and  the  corrupt  character 
of  the  other,  of  these  was  fully  developed  before  they 
were  introduced  into  prophecy.  And,  further,  as 
this  fall  is  said  to  occur  but  a  short  period  before 
Babylon's  final  destruction,  certainly  this  side  of  the 
rise  and  blasphemous  career  of  the  papal  church, 
this  testimony  cannot  apply  to  any  religious  organ- 
izations but  such  as  have  sprung  from  that  church. 
These  started  out  on  reform.  They  run  well  for  a 
season,  and  had  the  approbation  of  God  ;  but  fetter- 
ing themselves  with  creeds,  they  have  failed  to  keep 
pace  with  the  advancing  light  of  God's  truth,  and 
hence  have  been  left  in  a  position  where  they  will 
finally  develop  a  character  as  evil  and  odious  in  the 
sight  of  God,  as  that  of  the  church  from  which  they 
first  started  out  as  dissenters  or  reformers.  As  the 
point  before  us  is  to  many  a  very  sensitive  one, 
we  will  let  members  of  these  various  denominations 
here  speak  for  themselves. 


756  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

The  Tennessee  Baptist  says :  "  This  woman 
[popery]  is  called  the  mother  of  harlots  and  abom- 
inations. Who  are  the  daughters  ?  The  Lutheran, 
the  Presbyterian,  and  the  Episcopalian  churches  are 
all  branches  of  the  [Roman]  Catholic.  Are  not 
these  denominated  '  harlots  and  abominations '  in  the 
above  passage  ?  I  so  decide.  I  could  not  with  the 
stake  before  me  decide  otherwise.  Presbyterians 
and  Episcopalians  compose  a  part  of  Babylon.  They 
hold  the  distinctive  principles  of  Papacy,  in  common 
with  Papists." 

Alexander  Campbell  says :  "  The  worshiping 
establishments  now  in  operation  throughout  Chris- 
tendom, incased  and  cemented  by  their  respective 
voluminous  confessions  of  faith,  and  their  ecclesias- 
tical constitutions,  are  not  churches  of  Jesus  Christ, 
but  the  legitimate  daughters  of  that  mother  of  har- 
lots— the  Church  of  Rome." 

Again  he  says :  "  A  reformation  of  popery  was 
attempted  in  Europe  full  three  centuries  ago.  It 
ended  in  a  Protestant  hierarchy,  and  swarms  of  dis- 
senters. Protestantism  has  been  reformed  into 
Presbyterianism — that  into  Congregationalism — 
and  that  into  Baptistism,  etc.,  etc.  Methodism  has 
attempted  to  reform  all,  but  has  reformed  itself  into 
many  forms  of  Wesleyanism.  All  of  them  retain 
in  their  bosom, — in  their  ecclesiastic  organizations, 
worship,  doctrines,  and  observances, — various  relics 
of  popery.  They  are  at  best  a  reformation  of 
popery,  and  only  reformations  in  part.  The  doc- 
trines and  traditions  of  men  yet  impair  the  power 


CHAPTER  XVIII,   VERSES  1-3.  757 

and  progress  of  the  gospel  in  their  hands." — On 
Baptism,  p.  15. 

Mr.  O.  Scott  (Wesleyan  Methodist,)  says :  "  The 
church  is  as  deeply  infected  with  a  desire  for 
worldly  gain  as  the  world. 

"  The  churches  are  making  a  god  of  this  world. 

"  Most  of  the  denominations  of  the  present  day 
might  be  called  churches  of  the  world,  with  more 
propriety  than  churches  of  Christ. 

"The  churches  are  so  far  gone  from  primitive 
Christianity  that  they  need  a  fresh  regeneration — 
a  new  kind  of  religion." 

Says  the  Golden  Rule :  "  The  Protestants  are 
out-doing  the  Popes  in  splendid,  extravagant  folly 
in  church  building.  Thousands  on  thousands  are 
expended  in  gay  and  costly  ornaments  to  gratify 
pride  and  a  wicked  ambition,  that  might  and 
should  go  to  redeem  the  perishing  millions !  Does 
the  evil,  the  folly,  and  the  madness  of  these  proud, 
formal,  fashionable  worshipers,  stop  here  ? 

"These  splendid  monuments  of  popish  pride, 
upon  which  millions  are  squandered  in  our  cities, 
virtually  exclude  the  poor  for  whom  Christ  died, 
and  for  whom  he  came  especially  to  preach." 

The  report  of  the  Michigan  Yearly  Conference, 
published  in  the  True  Wesleyan  of  Nov.  15,  1851, 
says :  "  The  world,  commercial,  political,  and  eccle- 
siastical are  alike,  and  are  together  going  in  the 
broad  way  that  leads  to  death.  Politics,  commerce, 
and  nominal  religion,  all  connive  at  sin,  reciprocally 
aid  each  other,  and  unite  to  crush  the  poor.  False- 


758  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

hood  is  unblushingly  uttered  in  the  forum  and  in 
the  pulpit;  and  sins  that  would  shock  the  moral 
sensibilities  of  the  heathen,  go  unrebuked  in  all  the 
great  denominations  of  our  land.  These  churches 
are  like  the  Jewish  church  when  the  Saviour 
exclaimed,  'Woe  unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees, 
hypocrites/  "  It  is  certainly  no  better  now. 

Robert  Atkins,  in  a  sermon  preached  in  London, 
says:  "The  truly  righteous  are  diminished  from 
the  earth,  and  no  man  layeth  it  to  heart.  The  pro- 
fessors of  religion  of  the  present  day,  in  ever}' 
church  are  lovers  of  the  world,  conformers  to  the 
world,  lovers  of  creature-comfort,  and  aspirers  after 
respectability.  They  are  called  to  suffer  with 
Christ,  but  they  shrink  even  from  reproach. 

"Apostasy,  apostasy,  apostasy,  is  engraven  on 
the  very  front  of  every  church  ;  'and  did  they  know 
it,  and  did  they  feel  it,  there  might  be  hope ;  but 
alas  !  they  cry,  *  We  are  rich,  and  increased  in  goods, 
and  stand  in  need  of  nothing.' " 

Abundance  of  similar  testimony  might  be  pro- 
duced, from  persons  in  high  standing  in  these  vari- 
ous denominations,  written,  not  for  the  purpose  of 
being  captious  and  finding  fault,  but  from  a  vivid 
sense  of  the  fearful  condition  to  which  these 
churches  have  fallen.  The  term  Babylon,  as 
applied  to  them,  is  not  a  term  of  reproach,  but  is 
simply  expressive  of  the  confusion  and  diversity  of 
sentiment  that  exists  among  them.  Babylon  need 
not  have  fallen,  but  might  have  been  healed,  Jer. 
51 :  9,  by  the  reception  of  the  truth.  Rejecting  it, 


CHAPTElt  XVIII,    VERSES  1-3.  750 

confusion  and  dissensions  still  reign  within  her 
borders,  and  worldliness  and  pride  are  fast  choking 
out  every  plant  of  heavenly  growth. 

But  at  what  time  do  the  verses  now  before  us 
have  their  application  ?  When  may  the  movement 
here  symbolized  be  looked  for  ?  If  the  position  we 
have  taken  is  correct,  that  these  churches,  this 
branch  of  Babylon,  experienced  a  moral  fall  by  the 
rejection  of  the  first  message  of  chapter  14,  the  an- 
nouncement in  the  chapter  under  consideration  could 
not  have  gone  forth  previous  to  that  time.  It  is, 
then,  either  synonymous  with  the  message  of  the  fall 
of  Babylon,  in  chapter  14,  or  it  is  given  at  a  later 
period  than  that.  Is  it  synonymous  with  that  ?  It  is 
not ;  for  that  merely  announces  the  fall  of  Babylon, 
while  this  adds  several  particulars,  which  at  that 
time  were  neither  fulfilled  nor  in  the  process  of  ful- 
fillment. As  we  are  therefore  to  look  this  side  of 
1844,  where  the  previous  message  went  forth,  for 
the  announcement  brought  to  view  in  this  chapter, 
we  inquire,  Has  any  such  message  been  given  since 
that  time  to  the  present  ?  The  answer  must  still  be 
in  the  negative  ;  hence  this  message  is  yet  future. 
But  we  are  now  having  the  third  angel's  message, 
which  is  the  last  to  be  given  before  the  coming  of 
the  Son  of  Man.  We  are  therefore  held  to  the  con- 
clusion that  the  first  two  verses  of  this  chapter  con- 
stitute a  feature  of  the  third  message,  to  appear 
when  this  message  shall  be  proclaimed  with  power, 
and  the  whole  earth  be  lightened  with  its  glory. 

The  work  brought  to  view  in  verse  2,  is  in  proc- 


760  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

ess  of  accomplishment,  and  will  soon  be  completed, 
by  the  work  of  spiritualism.  Spirits  of  devils  are 
secretly  but  rapidly  working  their  way  into  the  re- 
ligious denominations  above  referred  to,  the  creeds 
of  which,  having  been  formulated  under  the  influ- 
ence of  the  wine  [errors]  of  Babylon,  render  theso  de- 
nominations unable  to  resist  their  insidious  approach. 

Verse  3  shows  the  wide  extent  of  the  influence  of 
Babylon,  and  the  evil  that  has  resulted  from  her 
course,  and  hence  the  justness  of  her  punishment. 
The  merchants  of  the  earth  are  waxed  rich  through 
the  abundance  of  her  delicacies.  Who  take  the 
lead  in  all  the  extravagances  of  the  age  ?  Church 
members.  Who  load  their  tables  with  the  richest 
and  choicest  viands  ?  Church  members.  Who  are 
foremost  in  extravagance  in  dress,  and  all  costly  at- 
tire ?  Church  members.  Who  are  the  very  per- 
sonification of  pride  and  arrogance  ?  Church  mem- 
bers. Where  shall  we  look  for  the  very  highest  ex- 
hibition of  the  luxury,  vain  show,  and  pride  of  life, 
resulting  from  the  vanity  and  sin  of  the  race  ?  Ans. 
To  a  modern  church  assembly  on  a  pleasant  Sunday. 

But  there  is  a  redeeming  feature  in  this  picture. 
Degenerate  as  Babylon  has  become  as  a  body,  there 
are  exceptions  to  the  general  rule  ;  for  God  has  still 
a  people  there  ;  and  she  must  be  entitled  to  some 
regard  on  their  account  until  they  are  called  from 
her  communion.  Nor  shall  we  have  to  wait  long 
for  this  call ;  for  soon,  if  we  mistake  not,  Babylon 
will  become  so  fully  leavened  with  the  influence  of 
these  evil  agents,  that  her  condition  will  be  fully 


CHAPTER  XVIII,    VERSES  4~S-  761 

manifest  to  all  the  honest  in  heart,  and  the  way  be 
all  prepared  for  the  work  which  the  apostle  now  in- 
troduces. 

VERSE  4.  And  I  heard  another  voice  from  Heaven,  say- 
ing, Come  out  of  her,  my  people,  that  ye  be  not  partakers 
of  her  sins,  and  that  ye  receive  not  of  her  plagues.  5.  For 
her  sins  have  reached  unto  Heaven,  and  God  hath  remem- 
bered her  iniquities.  6.  Reward  her  even  as  she  rewarded 
you,  and  double  unto  her  double  according  to  her  works  ; 
in  the  cup  which  she  hath  tilled,  fill  to  her  double.  7. 
How  much  she  iiath  glorified  herself,  and  lived  deliciously, 
so  much  torment  and  sorrow  give  her  ;  for  she  saith  in  her 
heart,  I  sit  a  queen,  and  am  no  widow,  and  shall  see  no  sor- 
row. 8.  Therefore  shall  her  plagues  come  in  one  day, 
death,  and  mourning,  and  famine  ;  and  she  shall  be  utterly 
burned  with  fire  ;  for  strong  is  the  Lord  God  who  judgeth 
her. 

The  voice  coming  from  Heaven,  denotes  that  it 
will  be  a  message  of  power,  attended  with  heavenly 
glory.  The  fact  that  God's  people  are  called  out  so 
as  not  to  be  partakers  of  her  sins,  shows  that  it  is 
not  till  a  certain  time  that  people  become  guilty  by 
being  connected  with  Babylon ;  and  this  explains 
how  it  can  be  said  of  the  144,000,  Rev.  14  :  4,  many 
of  whom  are  the  very  ones  here  called  out,  that 
they  were  not  denied  with  women. 

Verses  6  and  7  we  regard  as  a  prophetic  declara- 
tion that  she  will  be  rewarded  or  punished  accord- 
ing to  her  works.  As  she  has  filled  up  the  cup  of 
persecution  to  the  saints,  so  the  angel  of  the  Lord 
will  persecute  her,  Ps.  35  :  6,  and  judgments  from 
on  high  will  bring  upon  her,  in  a  two-fold  degree, 


762  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

the  evil  which  she  thought  to  bring  upon  the  saints. 
The  day  in  which  her  plagues  come,  mentioned  in 
verse  8,  must  be  a  prophetic  day,  or  at  least  cannot 
be  a  literal  day  ;  for  it  would  be  impossible  for 
famine  to  come  in  that  length  of  time.  The  plagues 
of  Babylon  are  without  doubt  the  seven  last  plagues 
which  have  been  already  examined  ;  and  we  infer 
from  the  language  of  this  verse,  in  connection  with 
Isa.  34  : 8,  that  a  year  will  be  occupied  in  that  ter- 
rible visitation. 

VERSE  9.  And  the  kings  of  the  earth,  who  have  com- 
rnited  fornication  and  lived  deliciously  with  her,  shall  buvvail 
her  and  lament  for  her,  when  they  shall  see  the  smoke  of 
her  burning,  10,  Standing  afar  off  for  the  fear  of  her  tor- 
ment, saying,  Alas,  alas,  that  great  city  Babylon,  that 
mighty  city  !  for  in  one  hour  is  thy  judgment  come.  11. 
And  the  merchants  of  the  earth  shall  weep  and  mourn  over 
her  ;  for  no  man  buyeth  their  merchandise  any  more. 

The  infliction  of  the  very  first  plague  must  result 
in  a  complete  suspension  of  traffic  in  those  articles 
of  luxury  for  which  Babylon  is  noted.  And  when 
the  merchants  of  these  things,  who  are  to  a  great 
extent  citizens  of  this  symbolic  city,  and  who  have 
been  made  rich  by  their  traffic  in  these  things,  sud- 
denly find  themselves  and  their  neighbors  smitten 
with  putrefying  sores,  their  traffic  suspended,  and 
their  vast  stores  of  merchandise  on  hand,  but  none 
to  buy  them,  they  lift  up  their  voices  in  lamenta- 
tion for  the  fate  of  this  great  city  ;  for  if  there  is 
anything  which  will  draw  from  the  men  of  this 
generation  a  sincere  cry  of  distress,  it  is  that  which 


CHAPTER  XV1I1,   VERSES  12,  IS.  763 

touches  their  treasures.  And  there  is  a  fitness  in 
this  retribution.  They  who  but  a  short  time  before 
had  Issued  a  decree  that  the  saints  of  God  should 
neither  buy  nor  sell,  now  find  themselves  put  under 
the  same  restriction  by  a  far  more  effectual  process. 
The  question  may  arise  how  persons  involved  in 
the  same  calamity  can  stand  afar  off  and  lament 
etc.  But  it  must  be  remembered  that  this  desola- 
tion is  brought  to  view  under  a  figure ;  and  that 
figure  is  a  city  visited  with  destruction.  Should 
calamity  come  upon  a  literal  city,  it  would  b©  nat- 
ural for  its  inhabitants  to  flee  from  that  city,  if  they 
had  opportunity,  and  standing  afar  off,  lament  its 
fall;  and  just  in  proportion  to  their  terror  and 
amazement  at  the  evil  impending,  would  be  the  dis- 
tance at  which  they  would  stand  from  their  de- 
voted city.  Now  the  figure  of  the  apostle  would 
not  be  complete  without  a  feature  of  this  kind ;  and 
so  he  uses  it,  not  to  imply  that  people  would  liter- 
ally flee  from  the  symbolical  city,  which  would  be 
impossible,  but  to  denote  their  terror  and  amaze- 
ment at  the  descending  judgments. 

VERSE  12.  The  merchandise  of  gold,  and  silver,  and 
precious  stones,  and  of  pearls,  and  fine  linen,  and  purple, 
and  ailk,  and  scarlet,  and  all  thyine  wood,  and  all  manner 
vessels  of  ivory,  and  all  manner  vessels  of  most  precious 
wood,  and  of  brass,  and  iron,  and  marble,  13,  And  cinna- 
mon, and  odors,  and  ointments,  and  frankincense,  and  wine, 
and  oil,  and  fine  flour,  and  wheat,  and  beasts,  and  sheep,  and 
horses,  and  chariots,  and  slaves,  and  souls  of  men. 

In  these  verses  we  have  an  enumeration  of  great 
Babylon's  merchandise,  among  which,  it  will  be 


THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 


noticed  are  slaves  and  souls  of  men.  The  church 
has  been  the  great  bulwark  of  American  slavery  ; 
and  previous  to  the  great  rebellion,  at  least  six  hun- 
dred thousand  slaves  were  held  by  members  of  the 
different  churches  in  the  South.  The  movement  for 
the  emancipation  of  these  slaves,  did  not  originate 
with  the  churches,  north  or  south.  Hence  they  are 
in  nowise  relieved  from  the  guilt  of  this  sin,  by  the 
fact  that  the  government,  as  a  military  necessity, 
has  abolished  slavery.  Had  the  matter  been  left  to 
the  church,  literal  slavery  would  have  continued  to 
the  end  ;  but  may  there  not  be  allusion  here  also  to 
slavery  of  conscience,  by  the  creeds  of  these  bodies, 
which  in  some  cases  is  more  oppressive  than  phys- 
ical bondage  ? 

VERSE  14.  And  the  fruits  that  thy  soul  lusted  after  are  de- 
parted from  thee,  and  all  tilings  which  were  dainty  and 
goodly  are  departed  from  thee,  and  thou  shalt  find  them  no 
more  at  all. 

The  fruits  here  mentioned  we  learn  by  reference 
to  the  original  to  be  "  autumnal  fruits."  In  other 
words,  the  "  delicacies  of  the  season,"  upon  which 
the  luxurious  professor  so  sets  his  pampered  appe- 
tite, will  be  suddenly  cut  off.  This  of  course  is  the 
work  of  the  famine,  which  is  the  result  of  the  fourth 
vial.  Chap.  16:8. 

VERSE  15.  The  merchants  of  these  things,  which  were  made 
rich  by  her,  shall  stand  afar  off  for  the  fear  of  her  torment, 
weeping  and  wailing,  16,  And  saying,  Alas,  alas,  that  great 
city,  that  was  clothed  in  fine  linen,  and  purple,  and  scarlet, 
and  decked  with  gold,  and  precious  stones,  and  pearls  !  17. 


CHAPTER  XVIII,    VXWSX8  15-28. 


For  in  one  hour  so  great  riches  is  come  to  nought.  And 
every  shipmaster,  and  all  the  company  in  ships,  and  sailors, 
and  as  many  as  trade  by  sea,  stood  afar  off,  18,  And  cried 
when  they  saw  the  smoke  of  her  burning,  saying,  What  city 
is  like  unto  this  great  city  !  19.  And  they  cast  dust  on  their 
heads,  and  cried,  weeping  and  wailing,  saying,  Alas,  alas, 
that  great  city,  wherein  were  made  rich  all  that  had  ships  in 
the  sea  by  reason  of  her  costliness  !  for  in  one  hour  is  she 
made  desolate. 

The  reader  can  readily  imagine  the  cause  of  this 
universal  voice  of  mourning,  lamentation,  and  woe. 
Imagine  the  plague  of  sores  preying  upon  men,  the 
rivers  turned  to  blood,  the  sea  like  the  blood  of  a 
dead  man,  the  sun  scorching  men  with  fire,  their 
traffic  gone,  and  their  silver  and  gold  unable  to  de- 
liver them,  and  we  need  not  wonder  at  their  excla- 
mations of  distress,  nor  that  shipmasters  and  sailors 
join  in  the  general  wail.  Very  different  is  the  emo- 
tion the  saints  are  called  upon  to  exercise,  as  the 
following  testimony  shows  :  — 

VERSE  20.  Rejoice  over  her,  thou  Heaven,  and  ye  holy 
apostles  and  prophets  ;  for  God  hath  avenged  you  on  her. 
21.  And  a  mighty  angel  took  up  a  stone  like  a  great  mill- 
stone, and  cast  it  into  the  sea,  saying,  Thus  with  violence 
shall  that  great  city  Babylon  be  thrown  down,  and  shall  be 
found  no  more  at  all.  22.  And  the  voice  of  harpers,  and 
musicians,  and  of  pipers,  and  trumpeters,  shall  be  heard 
no  more  at  all  in  thee  ;  and  no  craftsman,  of  whatsoever 
craft  he  be,  shall  be  found  any  more  in  thee  ;  and  the  sound 
of  a  millstone  shall  be  heard  no  more  at  all  in  thee  ;  23  ; 
And  the  light  of  a  candle  shall  shine  no  more  at  all  in  thee  ; 
and  the  voice  of  the  bridegroom  and  of  the  bride  shall  be 
heard  no  more  at  all  in  thee  ;  for  thy  merchants  were  the 


THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 


great  men  of  earth  ;  for  by  thy  sorceries  were  all  nations  de- 
ceived. 24.  And  in  her  was  found  the  blood  of  prophets, 
and  of  saints  and  of  all  that  were  slain  upon  the  earth. 

The  apostles  and  prophets  are  here  called  upon 
to  rejoice  over  great  Babylon  in  her  destruction,  as 
it  is  in  close  connection  with  this  destruction  that 
they  will  all  be  delivered  from  the  power  of  death 
and  the  grave  by  the  first  resurrection. 

Like  a  great  millstone,  Babylon  sinks  to  rise  no 
more.  The  various  arts  and  crafts  that  have  been 
employed  in  her  midst,  and  have  ministered  to  her 
desires,  shall  be  practiced  no  more.  The  pompous 
music  that  has  been  employed  in  her  imposing  but 
formal  and  lifeless  service,  dies  away  forever.  The 
scenes  of  festivity  and  gladness,  when  the  bride- 
groom and  bride  have  been  led  before  her  altars, 
shall  be  witnessed  no  more. 

Her  sorceries  constitute  her  leading  crime  ;  and 
sorcery  is  a  practice  which  is  involved  in  the  spir- 
itualism of  to-day.  "And  in  her  was  found  the 
blood  of  all  that  were  slain  upon  the  earth."  From 
this  we  infer  that  ever  since  the  introduction  of  a 
false  religion  into  the  world,  Babylon  has  existed. 
In  her  has  been  found  all  along  opposition  to  the 
work  of  God,  and  persecution  of  his  people.  In 
reference  to  the  guilt  of  the  last  generation,  see 
on  chap.  16:6. 


XIX. 


THE   TRIUMPH    OF   THE   SAINTS. 

YERSE  1.  And  after  these  things  I  heard  a  great  voice  of 
much  people  in  Heaven,  saying,  Alleluia  :  Salvation,  and 
glory,  and  honor,  and  power,  unto  the  Lord  our  God ;  2 ; 
For  true  and  righteous  are  his  judgments  ;  for  he  hath 
judged  the  great  whore,  which  did  corrupt  the  earth  with 
her  fornication,  and  hath  avenged  the  blood  of  his  servants 
at  her  hand.  3.  And  again  they  said,  Alleluia.  And  her 
smoke  rose  up  forever  and  ever. 

Continuing  the  subject  of  chap.  18,  the  apostle 
here  introduces  the  song  of  triumph  which  the 
redeemed  saints  strike  up  on  victor  harps,  when 
they  behold  the  complete  destruction  of  that  great 
system  of  opposition  to  God  and  his  true  worship, 
comprehended  in  great  Babylon.  This  destruction 
takes  place,  and  this  song  is  sung  in  connection 
with  the  second  coming  of  Christ  at  the  commence- 
ment of  the  thousand  years.  There  can  but  one 
query  arise  on  this  scripture,  and  that  is,  how  it 
can  be  said  that  her  smoke  rose  up  forever  and 
ever.  Does  not  this  language  imply  eternity  of 
suffering  ?  Let  it  be  remembered  that  this  is  bor- 
rowed language,  and  to  gain  a  correct  understand- 
ing of  it  we  must  go  back  to  its  first  introduction 

(767) 


768  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

and  consider  its  import  as  there  used.  In  Isa.  34} 
will  be  found  the  language  from  which,  if  we  mis- 
take not,  such  expressions  as  these  are  borrowed. 
Under  the  figure  of  Idumea  a  certain  destruction 
is  brought  to  view,  and  it  is  said  of  that  land  that 
its  streams  should  be  turned  into  pitch,  its  dust 
into  brimstone,  that  it  should  become  burning 
pitch  and  not  be  quenched  night  nor  day,  but  that 
its  smoke  should  go  up  forever.  Now  this  language 
is  spoken,  as  all  must  concede,  of  one  of  two  things ; 
either  of  some  particular  country  called  Idumea,  or 
of  the  whole  earth  under  that  name.  In  either 
case  it  is  evident  that  the  language  must  be  limited. 
We  think  the  whole  earth  is  meant,  from  the  fact 
that  the  chapter  opens  with  an  address  to  the  earth 
and  all  that  is  therein,  the  world  and  all  that  come 
forth  of  it;  and  the  indignation  of  the  Lord  is 
declared  to  be  upon  all  nations.  Now  whether  this 
refers  to  the  depopulation  and  desolation  of  the 
earth  at  the  second  advent,  or  to  the  purifying  fires 
that  shall  purge  it  of  the  effects  of  the  curse  at  the 
end  of  the  thousand  years,  the  language  must  still 
be  limited ;  for  after  all  this,  a  renovated  earth  is 
to  come  forth,  and  be  the  abode  of  the  nations  of 
the  saved  throughout  eternity.  Three  times  this 
expression  of  smoke  going  up  forever  is  used  in  the 
Bible:  once  here  in  Isa.  34,  of  the  land  of  Idumea 
as  a  figure  of  the  earth;  again  in  Rev.  14,  of  the 
worshipers  of  the  beast  and  image ;  and  again  in 
the  chapter  we  are  now  considering,  referring  to  the 
destruction  of  great  Babylon ;  and  all  of  them,  we 


CHAPTER  XIX,    VERSES  4-8.  769 

understand,  apply  to  the  very  same  time  and 
describe  the  same  scenes,  namely,  the  destruction 
visited  upon  this  earth,  the  worshipers  of  the 
beast,  and  all  the  pomp  of  great  Babylon,  at  the 
second  advent  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour. 

VERSE  4.  And  the  four  and  twenty  elders  and  the  four 
beasts  fell  down  and  worshiped  God  that  sat  on  the  throne, 
saying,  Amen ;  Alleluia,  5.  And  a  voice  came  out  of  the 
throne,  saying,  Praise  our  God,  all  ye  his  servants,  and  ye 
that  fear  him,  both  small  and  great.  6.  And  I  heard  as  it 
were  the  voice  of  a  great  multitude,  and  as  the  voice  of 
many  waters,  and  as  the  voice  of  mighty  thunderings, 
saying,  Alleluia ;  for  the  Lord  God  omnipotent  reign- 
eth.  7.  Let  us  be  glad  and  rejoice,  and  give  honor  to  him  ; 
for  the  marriage  of  the  Lamb  is  come,  and  his  wife  hath 
made  herself  ready.  8.  And  to  her  was  granted  that  she 
should  be  arrayed  in  fine  linen,  clean  and  white  ;  for  the 
fine  linen  is  the  righteousness  of  saints. 

The  Lord  God  omnipotent,  the  Father,  reigneth, 
is  the  language  of  this  song.  He  reigns  at  the 
present  time,  and  has  ever  reigned,  in  reality, 
though  sentence  against  an  evil  work  has  not  been 
executed  speedily  ;  but  now  he  reigns  by  open 
manifestations  of  his  power  in  the  reduction  of  all 
his  foes. 

"Rejoice for  the  marriage  of  the  Lamb 

is  come,  and  his  wife  hath  made  herself  ready." 
Who  is  the  "  bride,  the  Lamb's  wife,"  and  what  is 
the  marriage  ?  A  vast  field  for  thought  is  here 
opened,  and  material  furnished  for  a  more  lengthy 
exposition  than  time  or  space  will  permit  us  here 

to  give.     We  hold,  in  brief,  that  the  Lamb's  wife  is 
49 


770  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

the  New  Jerusalem  which  is  above.  This  will  be 
noticed  more  fully  on  chapter  21.  The  marriage  of 
the  Lamb  is  his  reception  of  this  city.  When  he 
receives  this  city,  he  receives  it  as  the  ornament 
and  metropolis  of  his  kingdom  ;  hence  he  receives 
with  it,  his  kingdom  and  the  throne  of  his  father 
David.  This  we  understand  to  be  the  event  desig- 
nated by  the  marriage  of  the  Lamb.  That  the 
marriage  relation  is  often  taken  to  illustrate  the 
union  between  Christ  and  his  people,  is  granted ; 
but  the  marriage  of  the  Lamb  here  spoken  of, 
is  a  definite  event  to  take  place  at  a  definite 
time;  and  if  the  declaration  that  Christ  is  the 
head  of  the  church  as  the  husband  is  the  head 
of  the  wife,  Eph.  5:  23,  proves  that  the  church 
is  now  the  Lamb's  wife,  then  the  marriage  of  the 
Lamb  took  place  ages  in  the  past ;  but  that  can- 
not be,  according  to  this  scripture,  which  locates 
it  in  the  future.  Paul  told  his  Corinthian  con- 
verts that  he  had  espoused  them  to  one  husband^ 
even  Christ.  This  is  true  of  all  converts.  But 
while  this  figure  is  used  to  denote  the  relation  that 
they  then  assumed  to  Christ,  was  it  a  fact  that  the 
marriage  of  the  Lamb  took  place  in  Corinth  in 
Paul's  day,  and  that  it  has  been  going  on  for  the 
past  eighteen  hundred  years  ?  Further  remarks 
on  this  point  are  deferred  to  a  consideration  of 
chap.  21. 

But  if  the  city  is  the  bride,  it  may  be  asked  how 
it  can  be  said  that  she  hath  made  herself  ready  ? 
Answer.  By  the  figure  of  personification,  which 


CHAPTER  XIX,   VERSES  9,  10. 


attributes  life  and  action  to  inanimate  objects.  See 
a  notable  instance  in  Ps.  114.  Again,  a  query  may 
arise  on  verse  8,  how  a  city  can  be  arrayed  in  the 
righteousness  of  the  saints.  But  if  we  consider 
that  a  city  without  inhabitants  would  be  but 
a  dreary  and  cheerless  place,  we  see  at  once  how 
this  is.  Reference  is  had  to  the  countless  number 
of  its  glorified  inhabitants  in  their  shining  apparel. 
This  raiment  was  granted  to  her.  What  is  granted 
to  her  ?  Isa.  54,  and  Gal.  4  :  21-31,  will  explain- 
To  the  new-covenant  city  are  granted  many  more 
children  than  to  the  old.  These  are  her  glory  and 
rejoicing.  The  goodly  apparel  of  this  city,  so  to 
speak,  consists  of  the  hosts  of  the  redeemed  and 
immortal  ones  who  walk  its  golden  streets. 

VERSE  9.  And  he  saith  unto  me,  Write,  Blessed  are  they 
which  are  called  unto  the  marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb. 
And  he  saith  unto  me,  These  are  the  true  sayings  of  God. 
10.  And  I  fell  at  his  feet  to  worship  him.  And  he  said 
unto  me,  See  thou  do  it  not  ;  I  am  thy  fellow-servant,  and 
of  thy  brethren  that  have  the  testimony  of  Jesus  ;  worship 
God  ;  for  the  testimony  of  Jesus  is  the  spirit  of  prophecy. 

Many  are  the  allusions  to  this  marriage  supper  in 
the  New  Testament.  It  is  referred  to  in  the  para- 
ble of  the  marriage  of  the  king's  son,  Matt.  22  :  1-14, 
again  in  Luke  14  :  16-24.  It  is  the  time  when  we 
shall  eat  bread  in  the  kingdom  of  God,  when  we  are 
recompensed  at  the  resurrection  of  the  just.  Luke 
14  :  12-15.  It  is  the  time  when  we  shall  drink  the 
fruit  of  the  vine  new  with  our  Redeemer  in  his 
heavenly  kingdom.  Matt.  26:29;  Mark  14:25; 


772  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

Luke  22 : 18.  It  is  the  time  when  we  shall  sit  at 
his  table  in  the  kingdom,  Luke  22  :  30,  and  he  will 
gird  himself  and  come  forth  and  serve  us.  Luke 
12:37.  Blessed  indeed  are  they  who  have  the 
privilege  of  partaking  of  this  glorious  feast. 

A  word  on  verse  10,  in  reference  to  those  who 
think  they  find  here  an  argument  for  consciousness 
in  death.  The  mistake  which  such  persons  make  on 
this  scripture  is  in  supposing  that  the  angel  declares 
to  John  that  he  is  one  of  the  old  prophets,  com-, 
back  to  communicate  with  him.  The  person  em- 
ployed in  giving  the  Revelation  to  John,  is  called  an 
angel,  and  angels  are  not  the  departed  spirits  of  the 
dead.  Whoever  takes  the  position  that  they  are,  is 
to  all  intents  a  spiritualist;  for  this  is  the  very 
foundation-stone  of  their  infamous  theory.  But 
the  angel  says  no  such  thing.  He  simply  says  that 
he  is  the  fellow-servant  of  John,  as  he  had  been  the 
fellow-servant  of  his  brethren  the  prophets.  The 
term  fellow-servant  implies  that  they  were  all  on  a 
common  footing  as  servants  of  the  great  God ;  hence 
he  was  not  a  proper  object  for  John  to  worship. 
See  on  chap.  1:1,"  His  angel." 

VERSE  11.  And  I  saw  heaven  opened,  and  behold  a  white 
horse  ;  and  he  that  sat  upon  him  was  called  Faithful  and 
True,  and  in  righteousness  he  doth  judge  and  make  war. 
12.  His  eyes  were  as  a  flame  of  fire,  and  on  his  head  were 
many  crowns ;  and  he  had  a  name  written,  that  no  man 
knew,  but  he  himself.  13.  And  he  was  clothed  with  a  vest- 
ure dipped  in  blood ;  and  his  name  is  called  the  Word  of 
God.  14.  And  the  armies  which  were  in  heaven  followed 
him  upon  white  horses,  clothed  in  fine  linen,  white  and  clean. 


CHAPTER  XIX,    VERSES  11-21.  773 

15.  And  out  of  his  mouth  goeth  a  sharp  sword,  that  with  it 
he  should  smite  the  nations  ;  and  he  shall  rule  them  with  a 
rod  of  iron  ;  and  he  treadeth  the  winepress  of  the  fierceness 
and  wrath  of  Almighty  God.  16.  And  he  hath  on  his  vest- 
ure and  on  his  thigh  a  name  written,  King  of  kings,  and 
Lord  of  lords.  17.  And  I  saw  an  angel  standing  in  the  sun  ; 
and  he  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying  to  all  the,  fowls  that 
fly  in  the  midst  of  heaven,  Come  and  gather  yourselves  to- 
gether unto  the  supper  of  the  great  God  ;  18  ;  That  ye  may 
eat  the  flesh  of  kings,  and  the  flesh  of  captains,  and  the  flesh 
of  mighty  men,  and  the  flesh  of  horses,  and  of  them  that  sit 
on  them,  and  the  flesh  of  all  men,  both  free  and  bond,  both 
small  and  great.  19.  And  I  saw  the  beast,  and  the  kings  of 
the  earth,  and  their  armies,  gathered  together  to  make  war 
against  him  that  sat  on  the  horse,  and  against  his  army. 
20.  And  the  beast  was  taken,  and  with  him  the  false  prophet 
that  wrought  miracles  before  him,  with  which  he  deceived 
them  that  had  received  the  mark  of  the  beast,  and  them  that 
worshiped  his  image.  These  both  were  cast  alive  into  a  lake 
of  fire  burning  with  brimstone.  21.  And  the  remnant  were 
slain  with  the  sword  of  him  that  sat  upon  the  horse,  which 
sword  proceeded  out  of  his  mouth  ;  and  all  the  fowls  were 
filled  with  their  flesh. 

With  verse  11  a  new  scene  is  introduced.  We 
are  here  carried  back  to  the  second  coming  of 
Christ,  this  time  under  the  symbol  of  a  warrior  rid- 
ing forth  to  battle.  Why  is  he  represented  thus  ? 
Because  he  is  going  forth  to  war, — to  meet  "the 
kings  of  the  earth  and  their  armies,"  and  this  would 
be  the  only  proper  character  in  which  to  represent 
him  on  such  an  occasion.  His  vesture  is  dipped  in 
blood.  See  a  description  of  the  same  scene  in  Isa. 
53  : 1-4.  The  armies  of  Heaven,  the  angels  of  God, 
follow  him.  Verse  15  shows  how  he  rules  the 


774  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

nations  with  a  rod  of  iron,  when  they  are  given  him 
for  an  inheritance,  as  recorded  in  the  second  Psalm, 
which  popular  theology  interprets  to  mean  the  con- 
version of  the  world.  But  would  not  such  expres- 
sions as  "  treadeth  the  winepress  of  the  fierceness  and 
wrath  of  Almighty  God,"  be  a  very  singular  descrip- 
tion of  a  work  of  grace  upon  the  hearts  of  the 
heathen  for  their  conversion  ? 

Christ  has  at  this  time  closed  his  mediatorial 
work,  and  laid  off  his  priestly  robes  for  kingly  at- 
tire ;  for  he  has  on  his  vesture  and  on  his  thigh  a 
name  written,  King  of  kings,  and  Lord  of  lords. 
This  is  in  harmony  with  the  character  in  which  he 
here  appears ;  for  it  was  the  custom  of  warriors  an- 
ciently to  have  some  kind  of  a  title  inscribed  upon 
their  vesture.  Verse  17.  What  is  to  be  understood 
by  the  angel  standing  in  the  sun  ?  In  chap  16  : 17, 
we  read  of  the  seventh  vial  being  poured  out  into 
the  air ;  from  which  it  was  inferred  that  as  the  air 
envelops  the  whole  earth,  that  plague  would  be  uni- 
versal. May  we  not  apply  the  same  principle  of 
interpretation  here,  and  conclude  that  the  angel 
standing  in  the  sun  and  issuing  his  call  from  thence 
to  the  fowls  of  heaven  to  come  to  the  supper  of  the 
great  God,  denotes  that  his  proclamation  will  go 
wherever  the  sun's  rays  touch  upon  this  earth  ? 
And  the  fowls  will  be  obedient  to  the  call,  and  fill 
themselves  with  the  flesh  of  kings,  captains,  mighty 
men,  and  horses.  Thus  while  the  saints  are  par- 
taking of  the  marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb,  the 
wicked  are  themselves  food  for  the  fowls  of  heaven. 


CHAPTER  XIX,    VERSES  11-21.  775 

The  beast  and  the  false  prophet  are  taken.  The 
false  prophet  is  the  one  that  works  miracles  before 
the  beast.  This  proves  him  to  be  identical  with  the 
two-horned  beast  of  chap.  13,  to  whom  tlje  same 
work,  for  the  very  same  purpose,  is  there  attributed. 
The  fact  that  these  are  cast  alive  into  the  lake  of 
fire,  shows  that  these  powers  will  not  pass  away 
and  be  succeeded  by  others,  but  be  living  powers  at 
the  second  advent  of  Christ. 

It  appears  from  verse  21  that  there  is  a  remnant 
not  numbered  with  the  beast  or  false  prophet. 
These  are  slain  by  the  sword  of  him  that  sits  upon 
the  horse,  which  sword  proceeds  out  of  his  mouth, 
This  sword  is  doubtless  what  is  spoken  of  else- 
where as  the  spirit  of  his  mouth,  and  breath  of  his 
lips,  with  which  the  Lord  shall  slay  the  wicked  at 
his  appearing  and  kingdom.  Isa.  11:4;  2  Thess. 
2:8. 


n     <         c\ 


XX. 


THE    FIRST    AND    SECOND    RESURRECTIONS. 

VEUSE  1.  And  I  saw  an  angel  come  down  from  Heaven, 
having  the  key  of  the  bottomless  pit  and  a  great  chain  in  his 
hand.  2.  And  he  laid  hold  on  the  dragon,  that  old  serpent, 
which  is  the  devil,  and  Satan,  and  bound  him  a  thousand 
years,  3,  And  cast  him  into  the  bottomless  pit,  and  shut  him 
up,  and  set  a  seal  upon  him,  that  he  should  deceive  the  na- 
tions no  more,  till  the  thousand  years  should  be  fulfilled ; 
and  after  that  he  must  be  loosed  a  little  season. 

The  event  with  which  this  chapter  opens  seems 
to  follow,  in  chronological  order,  the  events  of  the 
preceding  chapter.  The  inquiries  that  here  arise 
are,  Who  is  the  angel  that  comes  down  from 
Heaven  ?  What  is  the  key  and  chain  which  he  has 
in  his  hand  ?  What  is  the  bottomless  pit  ?  and, 
What  is  meant  by  binding  Satan  a  thousand  years  ? 

1.  The  angel.  Is  this  angel  Christ,  as  some  sup- 
pose ?  Evidently  not.  A  bright  ray  of  light  is 
thrown  from  the  old  typical  service  directly  upon 
this  passage.  Thus  :  Christ  is  the  great  High  Priest 
of  this '  dispensation.  On  the  day  of  atonement, 
anciently,  two  goats  were  taken  by  the  priest,  upon 
which  lots  were  cast,  one  for  the  Lord,  and  the 
other  for  the  scape-goat.  The  one  upon  which  the 

(776) 


CHAPTER  XX,   VERSES  1-S.  777 

Lord's  lot  fell,  was  then  slain  and  his  blood  carried 
into  the  sanctuary,  to  make  an  atonement  for  the 
children  of  Israel,  after  which  the  sins  of  the  people 
were  confessed  upon  the  head  of  the  other,  or  scape- 
goat, and  he  was  sent  away  by  the  hand  of  a  fit 
man  into  the  wilderness,  or  place  not  inhabited. 
Now  as  Christ  is  the  priest  of  this  dispensation,  so, 
by  arguments,  a  few  of  which  we  here  introduce, 
Satan  is  shown  to  be  the  antitypical  scape-goat. 

(1.)  The  Hebrew  word  for  scape-goat,  as  given  in 
the  margin  of  Lev.  16  :  8,  is  Azazel.  On  this  verse, 
Jenks,  in  his  Comprehensive  Commentary,  remarks : 
"  Scape-goat.  See  diff.  opin.  in  Bochart.  Spencer, 
after  the  oldest  opinion  of  the  Hebrews  and  Chris- 
tians, thinks  Azazel  is  the  name  of  the  devil;  and 
so  Rosenmiiller,  whom  see.  The  Syriac  has,  Azzail 
the  angel  (strong  one)  who  revolted."  The  devil  is 
here  evidently  pointed  out.  Thus  we  have  the  defi- 
nition of  the  Scripture  term  in  two  ancient  lan- 
guages, with  the  oldest  opinion  of  the  Christians, 
in  favor  of  the  view  that  the  scape-goat  is  a  type  of 
Satan. 

Chas.  Beecher,  in  "  Redeemer  and  Redeemed,"  pp. 
07,  68,  says :  "  What  goes  to  confirm  this  is,  that  the 
most  ancient  paraphrases  and  translations,  treat 
Azazel  as  a  proper  name.  The  Chaldee  paraphrase, 
and  the  targums  of  Onkelos  and  Jonathan,  would 
certainly  have  translated  it  if  it  was  not  a  proper 
name,  but  they  do  not.  The  Septuagint,  or  oldest 
Greek  version,  renders  it  by  arroirofnraio^  (apopom- 
paios),  a  word  applied  by  the  Greeks  to  a  malign 


778  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

deity,  sometimes  appeased  by  sacrifices.  Another 
confirmation  is  found  in  the  book  of  Enoch  where 
the  name  Azalzel,  evidently  a  corruption  of  Azazel, 
is  given  to  one  of  the  fallen  angels,  thus  plainly 
showing  what  was  the  prevalent  understanding  of 
the  Jews  at  that  day. 

"  Still  another  evidence  is  found  in  the  Arabic, 
where  Azazel  is  employed  as  the  name  of  the  Evil 
Spirit.  In  addition  to  these,  we  have  the  evidence 
of  the  Jewish  work  Zohar,  and  of  the  Cabalistic  and 
Rabbinical  writers.  They  tell  us  that  the  following 
proverb  was  current  among  the  Jews :  '  On  the  day 
of  atonement,  a  gift  to  Sammael.'  Hence,  Moses 
Ger undine nsis  feels  called  to  say  that  it  is  not  a 
sacrifice,  but  only  done  because  commanded  by  God. 

"Another  step  in  the  evidence  is,  when  we  find 
this  same  opinion  passing  from  the  Jewish  to  the 
early  Christian  church.  Origen  was  the  most  learned 
of  the  Fathers,  and  on  such  a  point  as  this,  the  mean- 
ing of  a  Hebrew  word,  his  testimony  is  reliable, 
Says  Origen:  'He  who  is  called  in  the  Septuagint 
cnroTTOjUTraioc,  and  in  the  Hebrew  Azazel,  is  no  other 
than  the  devil/ 

"In  view,  then,  of  the  difficulties  attending  any 
other  meaning,  and  the  accumulated  evidence  in 
favor  of  this,  Hengstenberg  affirms  with  great  con- 
fidence, that  Azazel  cannot  be  anything  else  but 
another  name  for  Satan." 

(2.)  In  the  common  acceptation  of  the  word,  the 
term  "scape-goat "  is  applied  to  any  one  who  has  be- 
come obnoxious  to  the  claims  of  justice ;  and  while 


CHAPTER  XX,   VERSES  1-3.  779 

it  is  revolting  to  all  our  conceptions  of  the  charac- 
ter and  glory  of  Christ,  to  apply  this  term  to  him, 
it  must  strike  every  one  as  a  very  appropriate  des- 
ignation of  the  devil,  who  is  styled  in  Scripture, 
the  accuser,  adversary,  angel  of  the  bottomless  pit, 
Beelzebub,  Belial,  dragon,  enemy,  evil  spirit,  father 
of  lies,  murderer,  prince  of  devils,  serpent,  tempter, 
etc.,  etc. 

(3.)  Our  third  reason  for  this  position  is  the  very 
striking  manner  in  which  it  harmonizes  with  the 
events  to  transpire  in  connection  with  the  cleansing 
of  the  heavenly  sanctuary,  as  far  as  revealed  to  us 
in  the  Scriptures  of  truth. 

We  behold  in  the  type,  1.  The  sin  of  the  trans- 
gressor imparted  to  the  victim.  2.  We  see  that  sin 
borne  by  the  ministration  of  the  priest  and  the 
blood  of  the  offering,  into  the  sanctuary.  3.  On  the 
tenth  day  of  the  seventh  month  we  see  the  priest 
with  the  blood  of  the  sin-offering  for  the  people,  re- 
move all  their  sins  from  the  sanctuary,  and  lay 
them  upon  the  head  of  the  scape-goat.  4.  The  goat 
bears  them  away  into  a  land  not  inhabited. 

Answering  to  these  events  in  the  type,  we  behold 
in  the  antitype,  1.  The  great  offering  for  the  world, 
made  on  Calvary.  2.  The  sins  of  all  those  who 
avail  themselves  of  the  merits  of  Christ's  shed  blood, 
by  faith  in  him,  borne,  by  the  ministration  of  Christ 
while  pleading  his  own  blood,  into  the  new-covenant 
sanctuary.  3.  After  Christ,  the  minister  of  the 
true  tabernacle  [Heb.  8  :  2],  has  finished  his  minis- 
tration, he  will  remove  the  sins  of  his  people  from 


780  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

the  sanctuary,  and  lay  them  upon  the  head  of  their 
author,  the  antitypical  scape-goat,  the  devil.  4. 
The  devil  will  be  sent  away  with  them  into  a  land 
not  inhabited. 

This  we  believe  to  be  the  very  event  described  in 
the  verses  under  notice.  The  sanctuary  service 
is,  at  the  time  here  specified,  closed.  Christ  lays 
upon  the  head  of  the  devil  the  sins  which  have  been 
transferred  to  the  sanctuary,  and  which  are  imputed 
to  the  saints  no  more,  and  the  devil  is  sent  away,  not 
by  the  hand  of  the  High  Priest,  but  by  the  hand  of  an- 
other person,  according  to  the  type,  into  a  place  here 
called  the  bottomless  pit.  Hence  this  angel  is  not 
Christ.  For  a  full  exposition  of  this  subject  see  the 
work  on  "  The  Sanctuary  and  its  Cleansing." 

2.  The  key  and  chain.     It  cannot  be  supposed  that 
the  key  and  chain  are  literal;  they  are  rather  used 
merely  as  symbols  of  the  power  and  authority  with 
which  this  angel  is  clothed  upon  this  occasion. 

3.  The  bottomless  pit.     The  original  word  signi- 
fies an   abyss,   bottomless,  deep,  profound.     Its  use 
seems  to  be  such  as  to  show  that  the  word  denotes 
any  place  of  darkness,  desolation,  and  death.     Thus 
in  Rev.  9:1,  2,  it  is  applied  to  the  barren  wastes  of 
the  Arabian  desert,  and  in  Rom.  10:  7,  to  the  grave. 
But  the  passage  which  specially  throws  light  upon 
the  meaning  of  the  word  here,  is  Gen.    1 : 2,  where 
we  read  that  "  darkness  was  upon   the  face  of  the 
deep."     The  word  there  rendered  deep,  is  the  same 
word  that  is  here  rendered  bottomless  pit ;  so  that  that 
might  have  been  translated,  "Darkness  was  upon  the 


CHAPTER  XX,    VEMSES  1-3.  781 

face  of  the  abyss,  or  bottomless  pit."  But  we  all 
know  what  is  meant  by  the  word  "  deep "  as  there 
used;  it  is  applied  to  this  earth  in  its  chaotic  state. 
Precisely  this  we  believe  it  means  in  this  third  verse 
of  Revelation  20.  At  this  time,  let  it  be  borne  in 
mind,  the  earth  is  a  vast  charnel  house  of  desolation 
and  death.  The  voice  of  God  has  shaken  it  to  its 
foundations,  the  islands  and  mountains  have  been 
moved  out  of  their  places,  the  great  earthquake  has 
leveled  to  the  earth  the  mightiest  works  of  man,  the 
seven  last  plagues  have  left  their  all-desolating  foot- 
prints over  the  earth,  the  burning  glory  attending  the 
coming  of  the  Son  of  man  has  borne  its  part  in  ac- 
complishing the  general  desolation,  the  wicked  have 
been  given  to  the  slaughter,  and  their  putrefying 
flesh  and  bleaching  bones  lie  unburied,  ungathered, 
and  unlamented,  from  one  end  of  the  earth,  to  the 
other  end  thereof.  Thus  is  the  earth  made  empty 
and  waste,  and  turned  upside  down.  Isa.  24:1. 
Thus  is  it  brought  back  again,  partially  at  least,  to 
its  original  state  of  confusion  and  chaos.  See  Jer. 
4:19-26,  especially  verse  23.  And  what  better 
term  could  be  used  to  describe  the  earth  thus  roll  ing 
on  its  course  of  darkness  and  desolation  for  a  thou- 
sand years,  than  that  of  the  abyss,  or  bottomless  pit? 
Here,  we  understand,  Satan  will  be  confined  during 
this  time,  amid  the  ruin  which,  indirectly,  his  own 
hands  have  wrought,  unable  to  flee  from  his  habita- 
tion of  woe,  or  to  repair  in  the  least  degree  its  hid- 
eous ruin. 

4.  The  binding  of  Satan.     We  well  know  that 


782  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

Satan  in  order  to  work  must  have  subjects  upon 
whom  to  work.  Without  these  he  can  do  nothing. 
But  during  the  thousand  years  of  his  confinement  to 
this  earth,  all  the  saints  are  in  Heaven  beyond  the 
power  of  his  temptations,  and  the  wicked  are  all  in 
their  graves,  beyond  his  power  to  deceive.  His 
sphere  of  action  is  circumscribed,  he  being  at  this 
time  confined  to  this  earth  ;  and  thus  is  he  bound, 
being  condemned  throughout  this  period  to  a  hopeless 
state  of  inactivity  and  imbecility.  This,  to  a  mind 
that  has  been  so  busy  as  his  has  been  for  the  past  six 
thousand  years  in  deceiving  the  world,  must  be 
a  punishment  of  the  most  intense  severity. 

Some  attempt  to  grow  merry  over  this  exposition 
of  the  binding  of  Satan,  which  makes  it  to  mean  the 
placing  beyond  his  reach  of  the  subjects  upon  which 
he  works,  and  which  makes  his  being  loosed  to 
mean  their  being  brought  again,  by  a  resurrection, 
under  his  influence.  They  tell  us  that  we  have  mis- 
taken the  parties,  and  have  the  wicked  bound,  not 
the  devil.  Yet  how  often  do  we  hear  in  the  daily 
transactions  of  life  such  expressions  as  these:  My 
way  was  completely  hedged  up ;  my  hands  were 
completely  tied,  etc.  But  do  we  understand,  when 
persons  make  such  expressions,  that  some  insur- 
mountable obstacle  was  literally  thrown  across  the 
path  they  were  traveling,  or  that  their  hands  were 
literally  confined  with  ropes  and  cords?  No;  but 
simply  that  a  combination  of  circumstances  rendered 
it  impossible  for  them  to  act.  Just  so  here;  and 
why  will  not  people  grant  to  inspiration  the  same 


CHAPTER  XX,   VERSES  4-6.  783 

liberty  of  speech  that  they  give  without  question 
and  without  ridicule  to  their  fellow-men  in  the 
common  intercourse  of  life  ? 

VERSE  4.  And  I  saw  thrones,  and  they  sat  upon  them, 
and  judgment  was  given  unto  them  ;  and  I  saw  the  souls 
of  them  that  were  beheaded  for  the  witness  of  Jesus,  and 
for  the  word  of  God,  and  which  had  not  worshiped  the 
beast,  neither  his  image,  neither  had  received  his  mark 
upon  their  foreheads,  or  in  their  hands  ;  and  they  lived  and 
reigned  with  Christ  a  thousand  years.  5.  But  the  rest  of 
the  dead  lived  not  again  until  the  thousand  years  were  fin- 
ished. This  is  the  first  resurrection.  6.  Blessed  and  holy 
is  he  that  hath  part  in  the  first  resurrection  ;  on  such  the 
second  death  hath  no  power,  but  they  shall  be  priests  of 
God  and  of  Christ,  and  shall  reign  with  him  a  thousand 
years. 

The  exaltation  of  the  saints.  From  the  devil  in 
his  gloomy  confinement,  John  now  directs  our  at- 
tention to  the  saints  in  victory  and  glory, — the  saints 
reigning  on  thrones, — all  who  are  blessed  and  holy, 
and  who,  consequently,  have  part  in  the  first  resur- 
rection. From  that  general  assembly  John  then  se- 
lects two  classes  as  worthy  of  especial  attention: 
first,  the  martyrs,  those  who  have  been  beheaded  foi 
the  witness  of  Jesus ;  and  secondly,  those  who  had 
not  worshiped  the  beast  and  his  image.  This  class, 
the  ones  who  refuse  the  mark  of  the  beast  and  his 
image,  are  of  course  the  ones  who  hear  and  obey  the 
third  message  of  Rev.  14;  but  these  are  not  the  ones 
who  are  beheaded  for  the  witness  of  Jesus,  as  some 
have  supposed  who  have  contended  that  the  last  gen- 
eration of  saints  were  all  to  be  slain.  The  word 


784  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

rendered  which,  in  the  expression,  "  and  which  had 
not  worshiped  the  beast,"  etc.,  shows  that  there  is 
another  class  introduced.  The  word  is  bong  (hostis), 
and  is  defined  by  Liddell  and  Scott,  "Whosoever, 
whichsoever,  any  one  who,  anything  which; "and  by 
Robinson,  "  One  who,  some  one  who,  whosoever, 
whatsoever."  As  one  class,  John  saw  the  martyrs, 
and  as  another,  he  saw  those  who  had  not  worshiped, 
the  beast  and  his  image. 

It  is  true  that  baric  is  sometimes  used  as  a  simple 
relative,  as  in  2  Cor.  3: 14;  Eph.  1:  23,  but  never  in 
such  constructions  as  this,  preceded  by  the  conjunc- 
tion teal. 

Lest  any  one  should  say  that  our  rendering,  who- 
soever, would  include  millions  of  heathens  and  sin- 
ners who  have  not  worshiped  the  beast,  and  promise 
to  them  a  reign  with  Christ  of  a  thousand  years,  we 
would  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  preceding 
chapter  states  that  the  wicked  had  all  been  slain,  and 
the  seal  of  death  set  upon  them  for  a  thousand  years; 
and  John  is  viewing  only  the  righteous  company 
who  have  part  in  the  first  resurrection. 

The  rest  of  the  dead  lived  not  again  till  the  thou- 
sand years  were  finished.  Whatever  may  be  said  to 
the  contrary,  no  language  could  more  plainly  prove 
two  resurrections ;  the  first,  a  resuri^ction  of  the 
righteous  at  the  commencement  of  the  thousand 
years,  and  the  second  that  of  the  wicked  at  the  end  of 
that  period.  On  such  as  have  part  in  the  first  resur- 
rection, the  second  death  will  have  no  power.  They 
can  pass  unharmed  through  the  elements  which  de- 


CHAPTER  XX,    VEHSES  4-6.  785 

stroy  the  wicked  like  chaff.  They  will  be  able  to 
dwell  with  devouring  fire,  and  everlasting  burnings ; 
Isa.  33:14,  15;  they  will  be  able  to  go  forth  and 
look  upon  the  carcasses  of  the  men  who  have  trans- 
gressed against  the  Lord,  as  the  quenchless  fire  and 
undying  worm  are  preying  upon  them.  Isa.  66:  24. 
The  difference  between  the  righteous  and  the  wicked 
in  this  respect  is  seen  again  in  the  fact  that,  while 
God  is  to  the  latter  a  consuming  fire,  he  is  to  his  peo- 
ple, both  a  sun  and  shield. 

The  wicked  who  are  raised  at  the  end  of  the  thou- 
sand j^ears,  as  really  live  again  as  they  have  once 
lived  on  the  earth.  To  deny  this,  is  to  do  violence  to 
this  scripture.  In  what  physical  condition  they  will 
be  raised,  we  are  not  informed.  It  is  usual  to  say 
on  this  point,  that  what  we  have  lost  unconditionally 
in  Adam,  is  restored  unconditionally  in  Christ. 
With  respect  to  physical  condition  this  should  not 
perhaps  be  taken  in  an  unlimited  sense;  for  we  have 
lost  greatly  in  stature  and  vital  force,  which  need 
not  be  restored  to  the  wicked.  If  they  are  brought 
back  to  the  average  mental  and  physical  condition 
which  they  enjoyed  during  life,  or  the  period  of 
their  probation,  would  not  that  be  sufficient  for  them 
to  receive  at  last  understandingly  the  reward  of 
their  deeds? 

VERSE  7.  And  when  the  thousand  years  are  expired,  Sa- 
t.-m  shall  be  loosed  out  of  his  prison,  8,  And  shall  go  out  to 
doceive  the  nations  which  are  in  the  four  quarters  of  the 
earth,  Gog  and  Magog,  to  gather  them  together  to  battle ; 

the  number  of  whom  is  as  the  sand  of  the  sea.     9.    And 
50 


786  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

they  went  up  on  the  breadth  of  the  earth,  and  compassed 
the  camp  of  the  &aints  about,  and  the  beloved  city  ;  and  fire 
came  down  from  God  out  of  heaven,  and  devoured  them. 
10.  And  the  devil  that  deceived  them  was  cast  into  the  lake 
of  fire  and  brimstone,  where  the  beast  and  false  prophet  are, 
and  shall  be  tormented  day  and  night  forever  and  ever. 

At  the  end  of  the  one  thousand  years,  the  holy 
city,  the  New  Jerusalem,  in  which  the  saints  have 
dwelt  in  Heaven  during  that  period,  comes  down, 
and  is  located  upon  the  earth,  and  becomes  the  camp 
of  the  saints,  around  which  the  resurrected  wicked 
come  up  numberless  as  the  sand  of  the  sea.  The 
devil  deceives  them  and  thus  brings  them  up  to  this 
battle.  The  deception  must  of  course  have  reference 
to  some  advantage  to  be  gained  by  fighting  against 
the  saints.  They  are  probably  deluded  into  the  hope 
that  they  can  overcome  the  saints,  dispossess  them  of 
their  city,  and  still  hold  possession  of  the  earth.  But 
fire  comes  down  from  God  out  of  Heaven  and  de- 
vours them.  The  word  here  rendered  devour,  Prof. 
Stuart  admits  is,  "  intensive,"  and  signifies  "  to  eat 
up,  devour,  so  that  it  denotes  utter  excision."  This 
is  the  time  of  the  perdition  of  ungodly  men,  the  time 
when  the  elements  shall  melt  with  fervent  heat,  the 
earth  also,  and  when  the  works  that  are  in  the  earth 
shall  be  burnt  up.  2  Pet.  3  : 1,  10.  In  the  light  of 
these  scriptures,  we  can  see  how  the  wicked  are  to 
receive  their  recompense  in  the  earth;  Prov.  11:31; 
we  can  see  also  that  it  is  not  eternal  life  in  misery,  but 
an  "utter  excision,"  entire  and  complete  destruction. 

Two  views  deserve  a  passing  notice  at  this  point. 


CHAPTER  XX,   VERSES  7-10.  737 

The  first  is  that  the  earth  is  renewed  at  the  second 
coming  of  Christ,  and  is  the  habitation  of  .the  saints 
during  the  thousand  years.  The  other  .is  that  when 
Christ  appears  the  second  time,  he  sets  up  his  king- 
dom in  Palestine,  and  performs,  in  connection  with 
his  saints,  a  work  of  conquest  over  the  nations  that 
are  left  on  the  earth  during  the  thousand  years,  and 
finally  subdues  them  to  himself. 

One,  among  many  objections  to  the  first  view,  is} 
that  it  makes  the  wicked  in  their  resurrection,  come 
up,  with  the  devil  at  their  head,  and  tread  with 
their  unhallowed  feet  upon  the  purified  and  holy 
earth,  and  the  saints  who  have  held  possession  for  a 
thousand  years,  are  obliged  to  yield  possession,  and 
flee  into  the  city.  But  we  cannot  believe  that  the 
saints'  inheritance  will  ever  be  thus  marred,  or  that 
the  fair  plains  of  the  earth  made  new,  will  ever  be 
polluted  with  the  impious  tread  of  the  resuscitated 
wicked;  for  besides  outraging  all  ideas  of  propriety, 
there  is  no  scripture  from  which  even  an  inference 
can  be  drawn  to  support  it. 

And  as  to  the  second  view,  one  among  many  of  its 
absurdities  is,  that  notwithstanding  Christ  and  his 
saints  have  conquered  the  earth  during  the  thousand 
years,  at  the  end  of  this  period  the  wicked  get  the 
upper  hands  of  them,  they  lose  their  territory, 
the  work  of  a  thousand  years  is  undone,  and  they 
are  compelled  to  beat  an  ignominious  retreat  into  the 
city  for  shelter,  leaving  the  earth  to  their  undisputed 
sway.  Those  who  wish  may  rack  their  brains  in 
trying  to  harmonize  the  :::  insistencies  and  absurdi- 


788  THOUGHTS  Oy  THE  REVELATION. 

ties  of  such  theories,  or  may  endeavor  to  draw  con- 
solation from  the  dubious  prospect.  For  ourselves, 
we  prefer  better  employment  and  a  brighter  hope. 

In  contrast  with  these  theories,  there  is  a  beauti- 
ful harmony  in  the  view  herein  presented  ;  namely, 
that  the  saints  are  with  Christ  in  Heaven  during 
the  thousand  years,  while  the  earth  lies  desolate; 
that  at  the  end  of  that  time,  the  saints  and  the  city 
come  down,  the  wicked  dead  are  raised,  and  come 
up  against  it ;  that  the  latter  there  receive  their 
judgment;  and  that  from  the  purifying  fires  which 
destroy  them,  come  forth  the  new  heavens,  and  new 
earth,  to  be  the  abode  of  the  righteous  throughout 
endless  ages. 

From  verse  10  some  have  argued  that  the  devil 
alone  was  to  be  tormented  day  and  night.  But  the 
testimony  of  this  verse  is  more  extensive  than  that. 
The  verb,  shall  be  tormented,  is  in  the  plural,  and 
agrees  with  the  beast  and  false  prophet ;  whereas  it 
would  be  in  the  singular  number  if  it  referred  to 
the  devil  alone.  It  will  be  noticed  that  in  the  ex- 
pression, "  where  the  beast  and  false  prophet  are," 
are  is  a  supplied  word.  It  would  be  more  proper 
to  supply  the  words,  were  cast,  answering  to  what 
was  spoken  of  the  devil  just  before.  The  sentence 
would  then  read,  "  The  devil  was  cast  into  the  lake 
of  fire  where  the  beast  and  false  prophet  were  cast." 
They  were  cast  in  there  and  destroyed  at  the  com- 
mencement of  the  thousand  years.  The  individuals 
of  which  tfyose  organizations  were  composed,  come 
up  in  the  second  resurrection,  and  a  similar  and 
final  destruction  is  now  visited  upon  them. 


CHAPTER  XX,    VERSES  11,  12.  789 

The  Lake  of  Fire.  Some  reader  may  be  inclined 
to  ask  for  a  definition  of  the  lake  of  fire.  As  a  com- 
prehensive definition,  may  it  not  be  called  a  symbol  of 
the  agencies  which  God  employs  to  close  up  his  con- 
troversy with  the  living  wicked  at  the  beginning  of 
the  thousand  years,  and  with  all  the  hosts  of  the  un- 
godly at  the  end  of  that  period  ?  Literal  fire  will 
of  course  be  largely  employed  in  this  work.  We  can 
better  describe  its  effects  than  the  thing  itself.  At 
the  second  coming  of  Christ,  it  is  the  flaming  fire  in 
which  the  Lord  Jesus  is  revealed ;  it  is  the  spirit  of 
his  mouth  and  brightness  of  his  coming  by  which  the 
Man  of  Sin  is  to  be  consumed  ;  it  is  the  fire  in  which 
great  Babylon  shall  be  utterly  burned.  Rev.  18:8. 
At  the  end  of  the  thousand  years,  it  is  the  day  that 
burneth  as  an  oven  ;  Mai.  4:1;  it  is  the  fervent  heat 
that  shall  melt  the  elements  and  the  earth,  and  burn 
up  the  works  that  are  therein  ;  it  is  the  fire  of  To- 
phet  "  prepared  for  the  king  "  (the  devil  and  his  an- 
gels, Matt.  25  :  41),  the  pile  whereof  is  deep  and  large, 
and  which  "  the  breath  of  the  Lord  like  a  stream  of 
brimstone  doth  kindle."  Isa.  30 :  33.  It  is  the  fire 
that  comes  down  from  God  out  of  Heaven.  On  the 
expression,  "  tormented  day  and  night  forever  and 
ever,"  see  on  chap.  19  : 1-4. 

VERSE  11.  And  I  saw  a  great  white  throne,  and  Him  that 
sat  on  it,  from  whose  face  the  earth  and  the  heaven  fled 
away  ;  and  there  was  found  no  place  for  them.  12.  And  I 
saw  the  dead,  small  and  great,  stand  before  God  ;  and  the 
books  were  opened ;  and  another  book  was  opened,  which  is 
the  book  of  life  ;  and  the  dead  were  judged  out  of  those 


790  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

things  which  were  written  in  the  books,  according  to  their 
works.  13.  And  the  sea  gave  up  the  dead  which  were  in  it ; 
and  death  and  hell  delivered  up  the  dead  which  were  in 
them ;  and  they  were  judged  every  man  according  to  their 
works.  14.  And  death  and  hell  were  cast  into  the  lake  of 
fire.  This  is  the  second  death.  15.  And  whosoever  was  not 
found  written  in  the  book  of  life  was  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire. 

With  verse  11,  John  introduces  another  scene  to 
take  place  in  connection  with  the  final  doom  of  the 
ungodly.  It  is  the  great  white  throne  of  judgment 
before  which  they  are  assembled  to  receive  their 
awful  sentence  of  condemnation  and  death. 

1.  The  Books  of  Record.     They  are  judged  out  of 
the  things  written  in  the  books;  from  which  we  learn 
the  solemn  fact  that  a  record  of  all  our  deeds  is  kept 
on  high.     A  faithful  and  unerring  record  is  made  by 
the  angelic  secretaries.     The  wicked  cannot  conceal 
from  them  any  of  their  deeds   of   darkness.     They 
cannot  bribe  them  to  pass  over  in  their  record  any  of 
their  unlawful  acts.     They  must  meet  them  all  again, 
and  be  judged  accordingly. 

2.  The   Execution   of  the  Sentence.      They   are 
to  be   punished   according   to    their    works.      The 
Scriptures  declare  that  they  shall  be  rewarded  ac- 
cording to  their  deeds.     There  are,  then,  to  be  degrees 
in  the  punishment  of  the  wicked  ;   and  it  may  be 
asked  how  this  can  be  harmonized  with  the  view  that 
death  is  the  punishment  for  sin,  and  comes  upon  all 
alike.     Let  us  ask  believers  in  eternal  misery  how 
they  will  maintain  degrees  in  their  system.     They 
tell  us  the  intensity  of  the  pain  endured  will  be  in 


CHAPTER  XX,   VERSES  11-15.  79 \ 

each  case  proportioned  to  the  guilt  of  the  sufferer. 
But  how  can  this  be  ?  Are  not  the  flames  of  hell 
equally  severe  in  all  parts  ?  and  will  they  not  equally 
affect  all  the  immaterial  souls  cast  therein  ?  But 
God  can  interpose,  it  is  answered,  to  produce  the  ef- 
fect desired.  Very  well,  then,  we  reply,  cannot  he 
also  interpose,  if  necessary,  and  graduate  the  pain  at- 
tendant upon  the  sinner's  being  reduced  to  a  state  of 
death  as  the  climax  of  his  penalty  ?  So,  then,  this 
view  is  equal  with  the  common  one  in  this  respect, 
while  it  possesses  great  advantage  over  it  in  another  ; 
for  while  that  has  to  find  its  degrees  of  punishment 
in  intensity  of  pain  alone,  the  duration  in  all  cases 
being  equal,  this  may  not  only  have  degrees  in  pain, 
but  in  duration  also ;  for  while  some  may  perish  in  a 
short  space  of  time,  the  weary  sufferings  of  others 
may  be  long  drawn  out.  But  yet,  we  apprehend 
that  the  bodily  suffering  will  be  but  an  unnoticed 
trifle,  compared  with  the  mental  agony,  that  keen 
anguish  which  will  rack  their  souls  as  they  get  a 
view  of  their  incomparable  loss,  each  according  to  his 
capacity  of  appreciation.  The  youth  who  had  but 
little  more  than  reached  the  years  of  accountability, 
and  died  perhaps  with  just  enough  guilt  upon  him  to 
debar  him  from  Heaven,  being  less  able  to  compre- 
hend his  situation  and  his  loss,  will  of  course  feel  it 
less.  To  him  of  older  years,  more  capacity,  and  con- 
sequently a  deeper  experience  in  sin,  the  burden  of  his 
fate  will  be  proportionately  greater.  While  the  man 
of  giant  intellect  and  almost  boundless  comprehen- 
sion, who  thereby  possessed  greater  influence  for  evil, 


792  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

and  hence  was  the  more  guilty  for  devoting  his  pow- 
ers to  that  evil,  being  able  to  understand  his  situa- 
tion fully,  comprehend  his  fate,  and  realize  his  loss, 
will  feel  it  most  keenly  of  all.  Into  his  soul  indeed 
the  iron  will  enter  most  intolerably  deep.  And  thus, 
by  an  established  law  of  mind,  the  sufferings  of  each 
may  be  most  accurately  adjusted  to  the  magnitude 
of  their  guilt. 

That  the  degree  of  suffering  which  each  one  is  to 
endure,  is  taken  into  the  account  as  a  part  of  the 
punishment  of  their  crimes,  is  evident  from  Rom.  2  : 
6-10;  Paul  here  speaking  of  the  future  "judgment 
of  God,"  says  :— 

"  Who  will  render  to  every  man  according  to  his 
deeds  :  to  them  who  by  patient  continuance  in  well- 
doing seek  for  glory  and  honor  and  immortality,  [he 
will  render]  eternal  life.  But  unto  them  that  are 
contentious,  and  do  not  obey  the  truth,  but  obey  un- 
righteousness, [he  will  render]  indignation  and  wrath, 
tribulation  and  anguish,  upon  every  soul  of  man 
that  doeth  evil,  of  the  Jew  first  and  also  of  the  Gen- 
tile." 

Why,  it  is  asked,  is  the  book  of  life  brought  forth 
on  this  occasion,  when  all  who  have  part  in  the  sec- 
ond resurrection,  beyond  which  this  scene  is  located, 
are  already  forejudged  to  the  second  death  ?  We 
answer,  That  it  may  be  seen  that  none  of  the  names 
of  all  the  multitude  who  die  the  second  death,  are  in 
the  book  of  life,  and  why  they  are  not  there  ;  and  if 
the  names  have  ever  been  there,  why  they  were  not 
retained  ;  that  all  the  intelligences  of  the  universe 


CHAPTER  XX,   VERSES  11-15. 


793 


may  see  that  God  acts  with  strict  j  ustice  and  impar- 
tiality. 

And  whosoever  was  not  found  written  in  the  book 
of  life  was  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire.  Reader,  is  your 
name  written  in  the  book  of  life  ?  Are  you  striving 
to  avert  in  your  own  case  the  fearful  doom  that 
awaits  the  ungodly  ?  Rest  not  till  you  have  reason 
to  believe  that  your  name  is  registered  in  the  list  of 
those  who  are  to  share  at  last  in  the  blessings  of 
eternal  life. 


XXI. 


THE    NEW    JERUSALEM. 

YETISE  1.  And  I  saw  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth  ;  for 
the  first  heaven  and  the  first  earth  were  passed  away  ;  and 
there  was  no  more  sea. 

The  New  Heaven  and  Earth.  By  the  first 
heaven  and  first  earth,  John  unquestionably  means 
the  present  heaven  and  earth,  the  heaven  and  earth 
which  now  are.  Some  have  supposed  that  when 
the  Bible  speaks  of  the  third  Heaven,  in  which  are 
paradise  and  the  tree  of  life,  1  Cor.  12 :  2;  Rev.  2 : 
7,  it  refers  to  the  Heaven  which  is  yet  future,  and 
does  not  prove  that  there  is  a  paradise  and  tree  of 
life  literally  in  existence  at  the  present  time.  They 
base  their  view  on  the  fact  that  Peter  speaks  of  three 
heavens  and  earths  ;  those  before  the  flood,  the  ones 
which  now  are,  and  the  ones  which  are  to  come. 
But  all  theories  based  upon  this  one  fact  are  over- 
turned by  this  first  verse  of  Rev.  21 ;  for  John  here 
reckons  but  two  heavens  and  earths :  the  ones  which 
now  are,  he  calls  the  first,  so  that  the  future  new 
heavens  would  be  the  second,  and  not  the  third,  as 
Peter  reckons.  Hence  it  is  certain  that  Peter  did 
not  design  to  lay  down  a  numerical  order,  that  we 
should  speak  of  the  one  as  the  first,  the  other  as  the 

(794) 


CHAPTER  XXI,   VERSE  1.  795 

second,  and  the  last  as  the  third.  The  object  of  his 
reasoning  was  simply  to  show  that  as  a  literal 
heaven  and  earth  succeeded  to  the  destruction  of 
the  earth  by  the  flood,  so  a  literal  heaven  and  earth 
would  result  from  the  renovation  of  the  present  sys- 
tem by  fire.  There  is  no  proof,  therefore,  that  the 
Bible,  when  it  speaks  of  the  third  heaven,  refers 
simply  to  the  third  state  of  the  present  heavens  and 
earth,  for  then  all  the  Bible  writers  would  have  been 
uniform  in  their  reckoning  on  this  point.  Thus  the 
arguments  of  those  who  would  endeavor  to  disprove 
of  the  idea  of  a  literal  paradise  and  tree  of  life  at 
the  present  time,  fall  to  the  ground.  We  believe 
the  Bible  recognizes  three  heavens  all  existing  in  the 
present  constitution  of  things;  namely,  the  first,  or 
atmospheric  heaven,  which  the  fowls  of  the  air  in- 
habit; the  second,  the  planetary  heaven,  the  region 
of  the  sun,  moon,  and  stars ;  and  the  third,  high  above 
them  all,  where  paradise  and  the  tree  of  life  are 
found,  Rev.  2 : 7,  where  God  has  his  residence  and 
his  throne,  Rev.  22: 1,  2,  to  which  Paul  was  caught 
up  in  heavenly  vision,  1  Cor.  12:  2,  to  which  Christ 
ascended  when  he  left  the  earth,  Rev.  12:5,  where 
he  now  shares  the  throne  of  his  Father  as  priest- 
king,  Zech.  6: 13,  and  where  the  glorious  city  stands 
awaiting  the  saints  when  they  enter  into  life.  Verse 
2.  Blessed  be  God  that  from  that  bright  land  intel- 
ligence has  been  brought  to  this  f  ar-ofT  world  of  ours ; 
and  thanks  be  to  his  holy  name  that  a  way  has  been 
opened  from  the  dark  places  of  earth,  which  leads 
like  a  strait  and  shining  path  of  light  up  to  those 
blest  abodes. 


796  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

Because  John  says  "And  there  was  no  more  sea," 
the  question  is  sometimes  asked,  "  Is  there,  then,  to 
be  no  sea  in  the  new  earth?"  It  does  not  seem  to 
follow  from  this  text  that -there  will  be  none;  for 
John  is  speaking  only  of  the  present  heaven,  and 
earth,  and  sea.  It  might  be  translated  thus:  "For 
the  first  heaven  and  the  first  earth  were  passed  away, 
and  the  sea  [  ovu  taw  tn  ]  was  no  more;"  that  is, 
the  old  sea  no  longer  appeared,  any  more  than  the 
old  heaven,  and  old  earth.  And  still  a  new  sea 
might  be  located  in  the  new  earth. 

Dr.  Clarke  on  this  passage  says:  "The  sea  no 
more  appeared  than  did  the  first  heaven  and  earth. 
All  was  made  new,  and  probably  the  new  sea  occu- 
pied a  different  position  and  was  differently  distrib- 
uted, from  that  of  the  old  sea." 

The  river  of  life,  of  which  we  read  in  the  follow- 
ing chapter,  proceeding  from  the  fiirone  of  God,  and 
flowing  through  the  broad  street  of  the  city  of  j  asper 
and  gold,  must  discharge  its  waters  somewhere;  and 
where  else  but  into  the  new  earth  sea?  But  that 
three-quarters  of  the  globe  will  be  then,  as  now, 
abandoned  to  a  waste  of  waters,  cannot  be  expected. 
No  more,  certainly,  may  be  looked  for,  than  will  be 
for  the  utility  and  beauty  of  the  new  world. 

VERSE  2.  And  I  John  saw  the  koly  city,  New  Jerusalem, 
coming  down  from  God  out  of  Heaven,  prepared  as  a  bride 
adorned  for  her  husband.  3.  And  I  heard  a  great  voice  out 
of  Heaven,  saying,  Behold,  the  tabernacle  of  God  is  with 
men,  and  he  will  dwell  with  them,  and  they  shall  be  his  peo- 
ple, and  God  himself  shall  be  with  them,  and  be  their  God. 


GHAPTEE  XXI,    VEMSES  2-4.  797 

4.  And  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from  their  eyes ;  and 
there  shall  be  no  more  death,  neither  sorrow,  nor  crying, 
neither  shall  there  be  any  more  pain  ;  for  the  former  things 
are  passed  away. 

In  connection  with  the  view  which  John  has  of 
the  holy  city  coming  down  from  God  out  of  Heaven, 
a  voice  is  heard,  saying,  The  tabernacle  of ,  God  is 
with  men,  and  he  will  dwell  with  them.  The  con- 
clusion naturally  follows,  that  the  tabernacle  here 
mentioned  is  the  city.  This  same  city  is  called  in 
John  14,  the  Father's  house  in  which  there  are  many 
mansions.  If  an  objection  should  arise  in  any  mind 
that  this  is  too  permanent  a  place  to  be  called  &  tab- 
ernacle, we  reply  that  the  word  tabernacle  sometimes 
has  the  signification  of  a  permanent  dwelling-place. 
And  it  seems  that  the  great  God  takes  up  his  abode 
on  this  earth.  We  do  not  suppose  that  God  is  con- 
fined to  this,  or  any  other  one  of  the  worlds  of  his 
creation;  but  he  here  has  a  throne,  and  earth  enjoys 
so  much  of  his  presence  that  it  may  be  said  that  he 
dwells  among  men.  And  why  should  this  be  thought 
a  strange  thing  ?  God's  only  begotten  Son  is  here 
as  ruler  of  his  special  kingdom ;  the  holy  city  which 
is  called  the  Father's  house,  and  which,  it  is  natural 
to  suppose,  will  be  the  most  beautiful  and  glorious 
place  in  the  universe,  will  be  here;  the  heavenly 
hosts  take  an  interest  in  this  world  probably  above 
what  they  feel  in  any  other;  yea,  reasoning  from 
one  of  the  Saviour's  parables,  there  will  be  more  joy 
in  Heaven  over  one  world  redeemed,  than  over  ninety 
and  nine  which  needed  no  redemption. 


798  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

And  *God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from  their 
eyes.  He  does  this  not  literally ;  for  there  will  be 
no  tears  in  that  kingdom  for  him  to  literally  wipe 
away ;  but  he  does  it  by  removing  all  the  causes  of 
tears. 

VERSE  5.  And  He  that  sat  upon  the  throne  said,  Behold  I 
make  all  things  new.  And  he  said  unto  me,  Write  ;  for 
these  words  are  true  and  faithful.  6.  And  he  said  unto  me, 
It  is  done.  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  beginning  and  the 
end.  I  will  give  unto  him  that  is  athirst  of  the  fountain  of 
the  water  of  life  freely. 

He  that  sits  upon  the  throne  is  the  same  being 
that  is  mentioned  in  verses  11,  12,  of  the  preceding 
chapter.  He  says,  I  make  all  things  new;  not,  I 
make  all  new  things.  The  earth  is  not  destroyed, 
annihilated,  and  a  new  one  created,  but  all  things 
are  made  over  new.  Let  us  rejoice  that  these 
words  are  true  and  faithful.  And  when  this  is  ac- 
complished, "  it  is  done."  The  dark  shadow  of  sin 
has  forever  passed  away  from  the  universe.  The 
wicked,  root  and  branch,  Mai.  4:1,  are  wiped  out  of 
the  land  of  the  living,  and  the  universal  anthern  o'f 
praise  and  thanksgiving,  Rev.  5:13,  goes  up  from 
a  redeemed  world  and  a  clean  universe  to  a  cove- 
nant-keeping God. 

VERSE  7.  He  that  overcometh  shall  inherit  all  things ; 
and  I  will  be  his  God,  and  he  shall  be  my  son.  8.  But  the 
fearful .,  and  unbelieving,  and  the  abominable,  and  murderers, 
and  whoremongers,  and  sorcerers,  and  idolaters,  and  all  liars, 
shall  have  their  part  in  the  lake  which  burneth  with  tire  and 
brimstone  ;  which  is  the  second  death. 

The   overcomers  are  Abraham's  seed,  and  heirs 


CHAPTER  XXI,   VEESES  9-11.  799 

according  to  the  promise.  Gal.  3  :  29.  The  prom- 
ise embraced  the  world,  Rom.  4:13;  and  the  saints 
go  forth  upon  the  new  earth,  not  as  servants  or 
slaves,  but  as  proprietors  of  the  soil. 

But  the  fearful,  unbelieving,  etc.,  have  their  part 
in  the  lake  that  burneth  with  fire  and  brimstone. 
The  word  "  fearful "  has  been  a  trouble  to  some 
conscientious  ones,  who  have  had  certain  kinds  of 
fears  all  along  their  pilgrimage.  It  may  be  well, 
therefore,  to  inquire  what  kinds  of  fears  are  here 
meant.  It  is  not  fears  of  our  own  weakness,  or 
of  the  power  of  the  tempter ;  it  is  not  fears  of  sin- 
ning, or  of  falling  out  by  the  way,  or  of  coming 
short  at  last.  But  it  is  a  fear  connected  with  un- 
belief ;  a  fear  of  the  ridicule  and  opposition  of  the 
world;  a  fear  to  trust  in  God,  and  walk  out  upon 
his  promises ;  a  fear  that  he  will  not  fullfill  what 
he  has  declared,  and  that  consequently  we  shall  be 
left  to  shame  and  loss  for  believing  in  him.  This  is 
mast  dishonoring  to  God.  This  is  the  fear  which  we 
are  commanded  not  to  have.  Isa.  51:7.  This  is  the 
fear  which  brings  into  condemnation,  and  will 
finally  land  those  who  cherish  and  yield  to  it,  in 
the  lake  of  fire,  which  is  the  second  death. 

VERSE  9.  And  there  came  unto  me  one  of  the  seven  an- 
gels which  had  the  seven  vials  full  of  the  seven  last  plagues, 
and  talked  with  me,  saying,  Come  hither,  I  will  shew  thee 
the  bride,  the  Lamb's  wife.  10.  And  he  carried  me  away 
in  the  spirit  to  a  great  and  high  mountain,  and  shewed 
me  that  great  city,  the  holy  Jerusalem,  descending  out 
of  Heaven  from  God,  11,  Having  the  glory  of  God ; 
and  her  light  was  like  unto  a  stone  most  precious,  even 


800  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

like  a  jasper  stone,  clear  as  crystal ;  12  ;  And  had  a  wall 
great  and  high,  and  had  twelve  gates,  and  at  the  gates  twelve 
angels,  and  names  written  thereon,  which  are  the  names  of 
the  twelve  tribes  of  the  children  of  Israel.  13.  On  the  east 
three  gates ;  on  the  north  three  gates  ;  on  the  south  three 
gates ;  and  on  the  west  three  gates.  14.  And  the  wall  of 
the  city  had  twelve  foundations,  and  in  them  the  names  of 
the  twelve  apostles  of  the  Lamb. 

This  testimony  is  positive  that  the  New  Jerusa- 
lem is  the  bride,  the  Lamb's  wife.  The  angel  told 
John  distinctly  that  he  would  show  him  the  bride, 
the  Lamb's  wife ;  and  we  may  be  sure  that  he  did 
not  practice  upon  him  a  piece  of  deception,  but 
fulfilled  his  promise  to  the  very  letter ;  but  all  that 
he  did  show  him,  was  the  New  Jerusalem.  It 
would  be  unnecessary  to  offer  a  word  of  proof  that 
this  city  is  not  the  church,  were  it  not  that  popular 
theology  has  so  mystified  the  Scriptures  as  to  give 
it  this  application.  This  city,  then,  cannot  be  the 
church,  because  it  would  be  absurd  to  talk  of  the 
church  as  lying  foursquare,  and  having  a  north 
side,  a  south  side,  an  east  side,  and  a  west  side.  It 
would  be  absurd  to  talk  of  its  having  a  wall 
great  and  high,  and  in  that  wall  twelve  gates,  three 
looking  toward  each  of  the  four  points  of  the  com- 
pass. Indeed  the  whole  description  which  we  have 
given  of  the  city  in  this  chapter  would  be  more  or 
less  an  absurdity,  as  applied  to  the  church. 

Again,  Paul  in  Galatians  speaks  of  the  same  city, 
and  says  that  it  is  the  mother  of  us  all,  referring  to 
the  church.  The  church,  then,  is  not  the  city  itself, 
but  the  children  of  the  city.  And  verse  24  of  the 


CHAPTER  XXI,   VERSES  9-14.  SOI 

chapter  under  comment,  speaks  of  the  nations  of  the 
saved,  who  walk  in  the  light  of  this  city.  These 
nations,  which  are  the  saved,  and  on  earth  constitute 
the  church,  are  distinct  from  the  city,  in  the  light 
of  which  they  walk.  Hence  we  believe  the  city  is 
a  literal  city,  built  of  all  the  precious  materials  here 
described. 

But  how  can  this  be  the  bride,  the  Lamb's  wife  ? 
Answer.  Inspiration  has  seen  fit  to  speak  of  it 
under  this  figure,  and  with  us,  that  should  be  suffi- 
cient. The  figure  is  first  introduced  in  Isa.  54. 
The  new-covenant  city  is  there  brought  to  view. 
It  is  represented  as  being  desolate  while  the  old 
covenant  was  in  force,  and  the  Lord's  care  was  con- 
fined to  the  Jews  and  old  Jerusalem,  but  it  is  said 
to  her  that  the  children  of  the  desolate  shall  be 
many  more  than  the  children  of  the  married  wife. 
It  is  further  said  to  her,  "  Thy  Maker  is  thy  hus- 
band," and  the  closing  promise  of  the  Lord  to  this 
city,  contains  a  very  similar  description  to  the 
one  which  we  have  here  in  Revelation ;  namely,  "  I 
will  lay  thy  stones  with  fair  colors,  and  thy  founda- 
tions with  sapphires,  and  I  will  make  thy  windows 
of  agates,  and  thy  gates  of  carbuncles,  and  all  thy 
borders  of  pleasant  stones,  and  all  thy  children 
shall  be  taught  of  the  Lord."  It  is  this  very  prom- 
ise to  which  Paul  refers,  and  upon  which  he  com- 
ments in  Galatians,  when  he  says,  "  But  Jerusalem 
which  is  above  is  free,  which  is  the  mother  of  us 
all;"  for  he  quotes,  in  the  next  verse,  this  very 

prophecy   of    Isaiah's   to    sustain    the   declaration 
51 


802  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

which  he  makes.  Here,  then,  Paul  makes  an  in- 
spired application  of  Isaiah's  prophecy,  which  can- 
not be  mistaken. 

In  addition  to  this  we  have  the  positive  testi- 
mony of  this  twenty-first  chapter  of  Kevelation  be- 
fore us  on  this  point.  With  this  view  there  is  har- 
mony throughout.  We  have  Christ  as  the  Father 
of  his  people,  Isa.  9 : 6,  the  Jerusalem  above  is 
called  our  mother,  and  we  are  the  children;  and 
under  the  figure  of  the  marriage,  we  have  Christ 
as  the  Bridegroom,  the  city  as  the  bride,  and  we, 
the  church,  are  the  guests.  There  is  no  confusion 
of  parties  here.  But  the  popular  view  which 
makes  the  city  the  church,  and  the  church  the 
bride,  exhibits  the  inexcusable  confusion  of  making 
the  church  to  be  at  the  same  time,  both  mother  and 
children,  and  both  bride  and  guests. 

The  names  of  the  twelve  apostles  in  the  founda- 
tions of  the  city,  show  it  to  be  a  Christian  and  not 
a  Jewish  city ;  while  the  names  of  the  twelve  tribes 
on  the  gates,  show  that  all  the  saved  from  this  dis- 
pensation as  well  as  from  the  former,  are  reckoned 
as  belonging  to  some  one  of  the  twelve  tribes ;  for 
all  must  enter  the  city  through  some  one  of  these 
twelve  gates.  It  is  this  fact  which  explains  those 
instances  in  which  Christians  are  called  Israel,  and 
are  addressed  as  the  twelve  tribes,  as  in  Rom.  2  : 28, 
29 ;  9:6-8;  James  1:1;  Rev.  7  : 4,  etc. 

VERSE  15.  And  he  that  talked  with  me  had  a  golden  reed 
to  measure  the  city,  and  the  gates  thereof,  and  the  wall  thereof. 
16.  And  the  city  lieth  foursquare,  and  the  length  is  as  large  as 


CHAPTER  XXI,   VERSES  15-18.  g()3 

the  breadth  ;  and  he  measured  the  city  with  the  reed,  twelve 
thousand  furlongs.  The  length  and  the  breadth  and  the 
height  of  it  are  equal.  17.  And  he  measured  the  wall 
thereof,  a  hundred  and  forty  and  four  cubits,  according  to 
the  measure  of  a  man,  that  is,  of  the  angel.  18.  And  the 
building  of  the  wall  of  it  was  of  jasper  ;  and  the  city  was 
pure  gold,  like  unto  clear  glass. 

We  learn  from  this  testimony  that  the  city  is 
laid  out  in  a  perfect  square,  measuring  equally  on 
all  sides.  The  measure  of  the  city,  John  tells  us, 
was  twelve  thousand  furlongs.  Twelve  thousand 
furlongs  are  fifteen  hundred  miles.  We  understand 
that  this  measure  is  the  measure  of  the  whole  cir- 
cumference of  the  city,  and  not  merely  of  one  side. 
This  appears,  from  Kitto,  to  have  been  the  ancient 
method  of  measuring  cities.  The  whole  circumfer- 
ence was  taken,  and  that  said  to  be  the  measure  of 
the  city.  According  to  this  rule,  the  New  Jerusa- 
lem will  be  three  hundred  and  seventy-five  miles 
on  each  side.  The  length,  breadth,  and  height  of  it 
are  equal.  From  this  language,  the  question  has 
arisen  whether  the  city  was  as  high  as  it  was  long 
and  broad.  The  word  rendered  equal,  is  iaoa,  (isos) 
and  from  definitions  given  in  Liddell  and  Scott,  we 
learn  that  it  may  have  the  sense  of  proportionate : 
the  height  was  proportionate  to  the  length  and 
breadth.  And  this  idea  is  strengthened  by  the  fact 
that  the  wall  was  only  a  hundred  and  forty-four 
cubits  high.  Taking  the  cubit  at  about  twenty- 
two  inches,  the  length  which  is  most  commonly  as- 
signed to  the  ancient  cubit,  it  would  give  only  two 
hundred  and  sixty-four  feet  as  the  height  of  the 


804  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

the  wall.  Now  if  the  city  is  just  as  high  as  it  is 
long  and  broad,  that  is,  three  hundred  and  seventy- 
five  miles,  this  wall  of  less  than  three  hundred  feet 
would  be,  in  comparison,  a  most  insignificant  affair. 
We  think,  therefore,  that  we  are  to  judge  of  the 
height  of  the  buildings  -of  the  city,  in  some  measure, 
by  the  height  of  the  wall,  which  is  distinctly  given. 

The  following  criticisms  on  verse  16,  the  verse 
which  gives  the  dimensions  of  the  heavenly  city,  are 
undoubtedly  correct  : — 

"It  has  been  inferred  from  the  above  text  that  the 
New  Jerusalem  City  is  to  be  as  high  as  it  is  long, 
and  that  its  length  will  be  twelve  thousand  furlongs, 
or  fifteen  hundred  miles.  It  seems  to  us  entirely 
unnecessary  to  place  such  a  construction  upon  the 
language.  The  word  equal  does  not  always  mean 
the  same  as  to  dimensions  or  position  ;  it  is  fre- 
quently used  in  the  sense  of  proportion.  If  we  were 
to  say  that  the  length  and  the  breadth  and  the  height 
of  the  city  were  in  proportion,  we  should  not  violate 
the  language."  This  view  is  taken  of  the  text  by 
Jas.  Dn  Pui,  A.  M.,  in  his  "  Exposition  of  the  Apoca- 
l^pse."  The  following  from  Thomas  Wicks,  author 
of  Lectures  on  the  Apocalypse,  presents  the  same 
idea:  "The  language,  however,  will  bear  another 
meaning,  which  is  far  more  natural.  It  is  not  that 
the  length  and  breadth  and  height  were  severally 
equal  to  each  other,  but  equal  with  themselves;  that 
is,  the  length  was  everywhere  the  same,  and  the 
breadth  everywhere  the  same,  and  the  height  the  same. 
It  was  perfect  and  symmetrical  in  all  its  proportions. 


CHAPTER  XXI,   VERSES  19,  20. 


This  is  confirmed  by  the  fact  distinctly  stated,  that 
the  wall  was  one  hundred  and  forty  -four  cubits  high, 
or  two  hundred  and  sixteen  feet,  a  proper  height  for  a 
wall  ;  while  it  is  said  that  '  the  length  is  as  large  as 
the  breadth/  "  This  writer  allows  but  18  inches  to 
the  cubit. 

The  Greek  word  isos,  which  is  translated  equal, 
will,  according  to  Pickering,  bear  the  meaning  of 
proportion.  Greenfield,  in  defining  another  form  of 
this  word  (isotes),  gives  to  it  the  sense  of  "  equal 
proportion,"  and  refers  to  2  Corinthians,  8  :  13,  14,  as 
an  example  where  this  definition  is  quite  admissible. 

It  would  appear,  therefore,  that  the  height  of  the 
city  was  proportionate  to  its  length  and  breadth,  and 
not  that  it  was  as  high  as  it  was  long.  The  text  cer- 
tainly admits  of  a  more  rational  interpretation,  and 
the  one  suggested  above  frees  it  from  all  ambiguity, 
and  shows  perfect  harmony  in  the  general  descrip- 
tion. 

The  building  of  the  wall  was  of  jasper.  Jasper  is 
a  precious  stone  usually  described  as  of  "  a  beautiful 
bright  green  color,  sometimes  clouded  with  white  or 
spotted  with  yellow."  This  we  understand  to  be  the 
material  of  the  main  body  of  the  wall  built  upon  the 
twelve  foundations  hereafter  described.  And  let  it 
be  remembered  that  this  jasper  wall  was  "  clear  as 
crystal,"  verse  11,  revealing  all  the  glories  within. 

VERSE  19.  And  the  foundations  of  the  wall  of  the  city 
were  garnished  with  all  manner  of  precious  stones.  The 
first  foundation  was  jasper  ;  the  second,  sapphire  ;  the  third, 
a  chalcedony  ;  the  fourth,  an  emerald;  20  ;  The  fifth,  sar- 


806  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

donyx;  the  sixth,  sardius ;  the  seventh,  chrysolite ;  the 
eighth,  beryl  ;  the  ninth,  a  topaz ;  the  tenth,  a  chrysopra- 
sus  ;  the  eleventh,  a  jacinth ;  the  twelfth,  an  amethyst. 

If  we  look  upon  this  description  as  exclusively 
metaphorical,  as  is  done  by  the  great  mass  of  those 
who  profess  to  be  Bible  teachers,  and  spiritualize 
away  this  city  into  aerial  nothingness,  how  unmean- 
ing, yea,  even  bordering  upon  folly,  do  these  minute 
descriptions  appear.  But  if  we  take  it,  as  it  is  evi- 
dently designed  to  be  understood,  in  its  natural  and 
obvious  signification,  and  look  upon  the  city  as  the 
Revelator  evidently  designed  we  should  look  upon  it, 
as  a  literal  and  tangible  abode,  our  glorious  inherit- 
ance, the  beauties  of  which  we  are  to  look  upon  with 
our  own  eyes,  how  is  the  glory  of  the  scene  enhanced  ! 

It  is  in  this  light,  though  it  is  not  for  mortal  man, 
of  himself,  to  conceive  of  the  grandeur  of  those 
things  which  God  has  prepared  for  those  that  love 
him,  that  we  delight  to  contemplate  the  glimpses 
that  he  has  given  us  in  his  word  of  our  future  abode. 
We  love  to  dwell  upon  those  descriptions  which  con- 
vey to  our  minds,  as  well  as  language  can  do  it,  an 
idea  of  the  loveliness  and  beauty  which  shall  charac- 
terize our  eternal  home.  And  as  we  become  absorbed 
in  the  contemplation 'of  an  inheritance  tangible  and 
sure,  our  courage  springs  up  anew,  hope  revives,  faith 
plumes  her  wings,  and  with  feelings  of  thanksgiving 
to  God  that  he  has  placed  it  within  our  power  to 
gain  an  entrance  to  the  mansions  of  the  redeemed, 
we  resolve  anew,  that,  in  spite  of  the  world  and  all 
its  obstacles,  we  will  be  among  the  sharers  in  the 


Wall. 


Jasper. 


Amethyst 

Jacinth. 

Chrysoprasus. 


PLATE  XI.-ORDER  OF  COLORS  IN  THE  FOUNDATION  OF  THE 
NEW  JERUSALEM, 

NOTE. — This  illustration  is  not  designed  to  show  the  proportion  between  the  founda- 
tion and  the  wall,  nor  the  particular  construction  of  the  foundation.  Some  think  the  dif- 
ferent stones  are  arranged  around  the  oity  in  sections ;  others  that  they  are  superimposed 
horizontally  upon  each  other,  in  the  form  of  terraces,  each  color  extending  continuously 
around  the  city,  the  whole  being  arranged  in  steps  from  the  ground  to  the  wall,  there  )>e- 
ing  a  sufficient  number  of  steps  to  each  precious  stone  to  make  the  whole  of  suitable 
hight.  With  this  arrangement  the  city  would  seem  to  rest  upon  a  vast  and  complex  rain- 
bow. And  when  we  consider  that  the  glory  of  God  and  the  Lamb  will  shine  through  all 
these  and  blend  the  colors  in  dazzling  splendor,  we  may  well  conclude  it  will  present  a 
scene  of  glory  of  which  uo  inind  cau  form  any  adequate  conception. 


CHAPTER  XXI,    VERSES  19,  20.  807 

proffered  joy.  Let  us  then  look  at  the  precious  foun- 
dation stones  of  that  great  city  through  whose  gates 
of  pearl  we  hope  soon  to  enter. 

"  The  word  adorned "  [garnished],  says  Staurt, 
"  may  raise  a  doubt  here,  whether  the  writer  means 
to  say,  that  into  the  various  courses  of  the  founda- 
tion, ornamental  precious  stones  were  only  here  and 
there  inserted.  But  taking  the  whole  description  to- 
gether, I  do  not  apprehend  this  to  have  been  his 
meaning. 

"  Jasper,  as  we  have  seen  above,  is  usually  a  stone 
-of  green,  transparent  color,  with  red  veins.  But 
there  are  many  varieties. 

"  Sapphire  is  a  beautiful  azure  or  sky-blue  color, 
almost  as  transparent  and  glittering  as  a  diamond. 

"Chalcedony  seems  to  be  a  species  of  agate,  or 
more  properly  the  onyx.  The  onyx  of  the  ancients 
was  probably  of  a  bluish  white,  and  semi-pellucid. 

"  The  emerald  was  of  a  vivid  green,  and  next  to 
the  ruby  in  hardness. 

"  Sardonyx  is  a  mixture  of  chalcedony  and  cor- 
nelian, which  last  is  of  a  flesh-color. 

"  Sardius  is  probably  the  cornelian.  Sometimes, 
however,  the  red  is  quite  vivid. 

"  Chrysolite,  as  its  name  imports,  is  of  a  yellow  or 
gold  color,  and  is  pellucid.  From  this  was  probably 
taken  the  conception  of  the  pellucid  gold,  which  con- 
stitutes the  material  of  the  city. 

"  Beryl  is  of  a  sea-green  color. 

"  The  topaz  of  the  present  day  seems  to  be  reck- 
oned as  yellow  ;  but  that  of  the  ancients  appears  to 


808  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

have  been  pale  green.  Plin.  38,  8,  Bellermann. 
Urim  et  Thummin,  p.  37. 

"  Chrysoprasus,  of  a  pale  yellow  and  greenish  color, 
like  a  scallion  ;  sometimes  it  is  classed  at  the  present 
day  under  topaz. 

"  Hyacinth,  of  a  deep  red  or  violet  color. 

"Amethyst,  a  gem  of  great  hardness  and  brill- 
iancy, of  a  violet  color,  and  usually  found  in  India. 

"In  looking  over  these  various  classes,  we  find 
the  first  four  to  be  of  a  green  or  bluish  cast,  the  fifth 
and  sixth,  of  a  red  or  scarlet ;  the  seventh,  yellow ; 
the  eighth,  ninth,  and  tenth,  of  different  shades  of  the 
lighter  green ;  the  eleventh  and  twelfth  of  a  scarlet 
or  splendid  red.  There  is  classification,  therefore,  in 
this  arrangement;  a  mixture  not  dissimilar  to  the 
arrangement  in  the  rainbow,  with  the  exception  that 
it  is  more  complex." 

VERSE  21.  And  the  twelve  gates  were  twelve  pearls  ;  every 
several  gate  was  of  one  pearl ;  and  the  street  of  the  city  was 
pure  gold,  as  it  were  transparent  glass. 

Whether  we  understand  that  these  gates  were  of 
solid  pearl,  or  whether  composed  of  pearls  thickly  set 
in  a  frame- work  of  some  other  precious  material,  does 
not  materially  affect  the  testimony.  If  it  should  be 
objected  that  it  would  be  contrary  to  the  nature  of 
things  to  have  a  pearl  large  enough  for  a  gate,  we 
reply  that  God  is  able  to  produce  it ;  the  objection 
simply  limits  the  power  of  God.  But  in  either  case 
the  gates  would  outwardly  have  the  appearance  of 
pearl,  and,  in  ordinary  language,  would  be  described 


CHAPTER  XXI,  VEKSES  SI,  22.  809 

as  gates  of  pearl.  In  this  verse,  as  also  in  verse  18, 
the  city  is  spoken  of  as  built  of  gold,  pure,  like  unto 
clear  glass,  or,  as  it  were,  transparent  glass.  We  do 
not  conclude  from  this  language,  that  the  gold  is  of 
itself  transparent.  Take  that,  for  instance,  which 
composes  the  street.  If  it  were  really  transparent,  it 
would  simply  permit  us  to  look  through  and  behold 
whatever  was  beneath  upon  which  the  city  rested ; 
and  it  would  not  seem  that  this  would  have  any 
specially  pleasing  effect.  But  let  us  suppose  the 
golden  pavement  of  the  street  so  highly  polished  as 
to  have  perfect  powers  of  reflection,  like  the  truest 
mirror,  and  we  can  see  at  once  that  the  effect  would 
be  grand  and  striking  in  the  extreme.  Think  for  a 
moment  what  the  appearance  of  a  street  so  paved 
would  be.  The  gorgeous  palaces  on  either  side  would 
be  reflected  beneath,  and  the  boundless  expanse  of  the 
heavens  above  would  also  appear  below ;  so  that  to 
the  person  walking  those  golden  streets,  it  would  ap- 
pear that  both  himself  and  the  city  were  suspended 
between  the  boundless  expanse  above  and  the  un- 
fathomable depths  below;  while  the  mansions  on 
either  side  of  the  street,  having  equal  powers  of  re- 
flection, would  marvelously  multiply  both  palaces 
and  people,  and  conspire  to  render  the  whole  scene, 
novel,  pleasing,  beautiful,  and  grand  beyond  con- 
ception. 

VERSE  22.    And  I  saw  no  temple  therein ;  for  the  Lord 
God  Almighty  and  the  Lamb  are  the  temple  of  it. 

With  the  temple  is  connected  the  idea  of  sacrifices 


THOUGHTS  ON  THE  HE  DELATION. 


and  a  mediatorial  work  ;  but  when  the  city  is 
located  upon  the  earth,  there  will  be  no  such  work  to 
be  performed.  Sacrifices  and  offerings,  and  all  medi- 
atorial work  based  thereon,  will  be  forever  passed  : 
hence  there  will  be  no  need  of  the  outward 
symbol  of  such  work.  But  the  temple  in  old 
Jerusalem,  besides  being  a  place  for  sacrificial  wor- 
ship, was  the  beauty  and  glory  of  the  place;  and, 
as  if  to  anticipate  the  question  that  might  arise,  as 
to  what  would  constitute  the  ornament  and  glory  of 
the  new  city  if  there  was  to  be  no  temple  therein, 
the  prophet  answers,  "  The  Lord  God  Almighty  and 
the  Lamb  are  the  temple  of  it."  We  understand  that 
there  is  now  a  temple  in  the  city.  Chap.  16  :  17. 
What  becomes  of  that  temple  when  the  city  comes 
down,  revelation  does  not  inform  us.  Possibly  it  is 
removed  from  the  city  ;  or,  it  may  be  put  to  such  a 
different  use  as  to  cease  to  be  the  temple  of  God. 

VERSE  23.  And  the  city  had  no  need  of  the  sun,  neither 
of  the  moon,  to  shine  in  it  ;  for  the  glory  of  God  did  lighten 
it,  and  the  Lamb  is  the  light  thereof.  24.  And  the  nations 
of  them  which  are  saved  shall  walk  in  the  light  of  it  ;  and 
the  kings  of  the  earth  do  bring  their  glory  and  honor  into  it. 
25.  And  the  gates  of  it  shall  not  be  shut  at  all  by  day  ;  for 
there  shall  be  no  night  there.  26.  And  they  shall  bring  the 
glory  and  honor  of  the  nations  into  it.  27.  And  there  shall 
in  no  wise  enter  into  it  anything  that  defileth,  neither  what- 
soever worketh  abomination,  or  maketh  a  lie  ;  but  they  which 
are  written  in  the  Lamb's  book  of  life. 

It  is  in  the  city  alone,  probably,  that  there  is  no 
night.  There  will  of  course  be  days  and  nights  in 
the  new  earth,  but  they  will  be  days  and  nights  of 


CHAPTER  XXI,   VJSltSES  23-27.  811 

surpassing  glory.  The  prophet,  speaking  of  this  time, 
says,  "  Moreover  the  light  of  the  moon  shall  be  as  the 
light  of  the  sun,  and  the  light  of  the  sun  seven-fold, 
as  the  light  of  seven  days,  in  the  day  that  the  Lord 
bindeth  up  the  breach  of  his  people,  and  healeth  the 
stroke  of  their  wound."  Isa.  30 :  26.  But  if  the 
light  of  the  inoon  in  that  state  is  as  the  light  of  the 
sun,  how  can  there  be  said  to  be  night  there  ?  An- 
swer. The  light  of  the  sun  shall  be  seven-fold ;  so 
that,  although  the  night  is  as  our  day,  the  day  will 
be  seven-fold  brighter,  making  a  contrast  between 
day  and  night  there,  as  marked,  perhaps,,  as  at  the 
present  time;  but  both  will  there  be  surpassingly 
glorious. 

Verse  24  speaks  of  nations  and  kings.  The  na- 
tions are  the  nations  of  the  saved ;  and  we  are  all 
kings  in  a  certain  sense,  in  the  new-earth  state.  We 
possess  a  "  kingdom,"  and  are  to  "  reign  "  forever  and 
ever. 

But  it  appears  from  some  of  our  Saviour's  parables, 
as  in  Matt.  25 :  21,  23,  that  some  will  occupy  in  a 
special  sense  the  position  of  rulers,  and  may  thus  be 
spoken  of  as  kings  of  the  earth,  in  connection  with 
the  nations  of  the  saved.  These  bring  their  glory 
and  honor  into  the  city,  when,  on  the  Sabbaths  and 
new  moons,  they  there  come  up  to  worship.  Isa. 
66:23. 

Reader,  do  you  want  a  part  in  the  unspeakable 
and  eternal  glories  of  this  heavenly  city  ?  See  to  it, 
then,  that  your  name  is  written  in  the  Lamb's  book 
of  life  ;  for  only  such  can  enter  there. 


XXII. 


THE  TREE  AND  RIVER  OF  LIFE. 

VERSE  1.  And  he  shewed  me  a  pure  river  of  water  of  life, 
clear  as  crystal,  proceeding  out  of  the  throne  of  God  and  of 
the  Lamb.  2.  In  the  midst  of  the  street  of  it,  and  on  either 
side  of  the  river,  was  there  the  tree  of  life,  which  bare 
twelve  manner  of  fruits,  and  yielded  her  fruit  every  month  ; 
and  the  leaves  of  the  tree  were  for  the  healing  of  the  nations. 

The  angel  continues  to  show  John  the  wonderful 
things  of  the  city  of  God.  In  the  midst  of  the 
street  of  the  city  was  the  tree  of  life.  Although 
the  word  street  is  here  used  in  the  singular  num- 
ber, with  the  definite  article  "  the  "  before  it,  we  do 
not  understand  that  there  is  but  one  street  in  the 
city ;  for  there  are  twelve  gates  and  there  must  of 
course  be  a  street  leading  to  each  gate.  But  the 
street  here  spoken  of,  is  the  street  by  way  of  dis- 
tinction; it  is  the  main  street,  or,  as  the  original 
word  signifies,  the  broad  way,  the  great  avenue. 
The  tree  of  life  is  in  the  midst  of  this  street ;  but 
the  tree  of  life  is  on  either  side  of  the  river  of  life ; 
hence  the  river  of  life  is  also  in  the  midst  of  the 
street  of  the  city.  This  river  proceeds  from  the 
throne  of  God.  The  picture  thus  presented  before 
the  mind  is  this :  The  glorious  throne  of  God  at  the 

(812) 


CHAPTER  XXII,   VERSES  1,2. 


head  of  this  broad  way  or  avenue,  out  of  that 
throne  the  river  of  life  flowing  lengthwise  through 
the  center  of  the  street,  and  the  tree  of  life  grow- 
ing on  either  side  and  forming  a  high  and  mag- 
nificent arch  over  that  majestic  stream,  and  spread- 
ing its  life-bearing  branches  far  away  on  either 
side.  How  broad  this  broad  street  is,  we  have  no 
means  of  determining  ;  but  it  will  be  at  once  per- 
ceived that  a  city  three  hundred  and  seventy-five 
miles  on  each  side,  would  be  able  to  devote  quite  an 
ample  space  to  its  great  avenue. 

The  Tree  of  Life.  But  how  can  the  tree  of  life 
be  but  one  tree,  and  still  be  on  either  side  of  the 
river  ?  1.  It  is  evident  that  there  is  but  one  tree 
of  life.  From  Genesis  to  Revelation  it  is  spoken  of 
as  but  one  —  the  tree  of  life.  2.  To  be  at  once  on 
both  sides  of  the  river,  it  must  have  more  than  one 
trunk,  in  which  case  it  must  be  united  at  the  top  or 
in  its  upper  branches,  in  order  to  form  but  one  tree 
John,  caught  away  in  the  Spirit,  and  presented 
with  a  minute  view  of  this  wonderful  object,  says 
that  it  was  on  either  side  of  the  river.  Another, 
who  has  been  privileged  to  behold  in  vision  the 
marvelous  glories  of  the  heavenly  land,  has  borne 
similar  testimony  :  "  We  all  marched  in,  and  felt 
that  we  had  a  perfect  right  in  the  city.  Here  we 
saw  the  tree  of  life  and  the  throne  of  God.  Out  of 
the  throne  came  a  pure  river  of  water  ;  and  on 
either  side  of  the  river  was  the  tree  of  life.  At  first 
I  thought  I  saw  two  trees  ;  but  I  looked  again,  and 
saw  that  they  were  united  at  the  top  in  one  tree. 


814  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

So  it  was  the  tree  of  life  on  either  side  of  the  river 
of  life.  Its  branches  bowed  to  the  place  where  we 
stood,  and  the  fruit  was  glorious,  which  looked  like 
gold  mixed  with  silver." — Experience  and  Views, 
pp.  12,  13.  And  why  should  such  a  tree  be  looked 
upon  as  unnatural  or  incredible,  since  we  have  an 
illustration  of  it  here  upon  earth.  The  banyan  tree 
of  India  is  of  precisely  the  same  nature  in  this  re- 
spect. Of  this  tree  the  Encyclopedia  Americana 
thus  speaks:  "  Theseus  Indica  (Indian  fig,  or  ban- 
yan tree)  has  been  celebrated  from  antiquity  from 
its  letting  its  branches  drop  and  take  root  in  the 
earth,  which,  in  their  turn  become  trunks,  and  give 
out  other  branches,  a  single  tree  thus  forming  a  lit- 
tle forest."  Thus  we  believe  the  tree  of  life  extends 
and  supports  itself.  The  tree  of  life  bears  twelve 
kinds  of  fruits,  and  yields  its  fruit  every  month, 
probably  one  kind  each  month.  This  fact  throws 
light  upon  the  declaration  in  Isa.  66 : 23,  that  all 
flesh  shall  come  up  from  one  new  moon  to  another 
to  worship  before  the  Lord  of  hosts.  The  word 
new  moon  should  be  rendered  month.  The  re- 
deemed come  up  to  the  city  from  month  to  month 
to  partake  of  the  fruit  of  the  tree  of  life.  Its  leaves 
are  for  the  healing  of  the  nations;  literally,  the 
service  of  the  nations,  not  implying  that  any  will 
enter  the  city  in  a  diseased  or  deformed  condition 
to  need  healing ;  and  even  if  so,  the  work  would 
soon  be  done,  and  then  what  would  the  leaves  be 
for  ?  We  understand  that  the  service  of  the  leaves, 
whatever  it  is,  will  be  perpetual,  like  the  use  of  the 
fruit. 


CHAP  TEH  XXII,    VERSES  S-8. 


VERSE  3.  And  there  shall  be  no  more  curse  ;  but  the 
throne  of  God  and  of  the  Lamb  shall  be  in  it  ;  and  his  serv- 
ants shall  serve  him. 

This  language  proves  that  the  great  God,  the 
Father,  is  referred  to,  as  well  as  the  Son. 

VEKSE  4.  And  they  shall  see  his  face  ;  and  his  name  shall 
be  in  their  foreheads. 

The  word,  his,  in  the  sentence,  "And  they  shall 
see  his  face,"  refers  to  the  Father  ;  for  it  is  the  one 
whose  name  is  in  their  foreheads  ;  and  that  is  the 
Father,  as  we  learn  from  chap.  14  :  1. 

VERSE  5.  And  there  shall  be  no  night  there  ;  and  they 
need  no  candle,  neither  light  of  the  sun  ;  for  the  Lord  God 
giveth  them  light  ;  and  they  shall  reign  forever  and  ever. 
6.  And  he  said  unto  me,  These  sayings  are  faithful  and  true  ; 
and  the  Lord  God  of  the  holy  prophets  sent  his  angel  to  shew 
unto  his  servants  the  things  which  must  shortly  be  done.  7. 
Behold,  I  come  quickly  ;  blessed  is  he  that  keepeth  the  say- 
ings of  the  prophecy  of  this  book. 

Here  again  we  have  the  declaration  that  there 

o 

shall  be  no  night  in  the  city  ;  for  the  Lord  God  will 
be  the  light  of  the  place.  Verse  7  proves  that 
Christ  is  the  speaker,  a  fact  which  it  is  of  especial 
importance  to  bear  in  mind  in  connection  with 
verse  14.  To  keep  the  sayings  of  the  prophecy  of 
this  book  is  to  obey  the  duties  brought  to  view  in 
connection  with  the  prophecy,  as,  for  instance,  in 
chap.  14:9-12. 

VERSE  8.  And  I  John  saw  these  things,  and  heard  them. 
And  when  I  had  heard  and  seen,  I  fell  down  to  worship  be- 
fore the  feet  of  the  angel  which  shewed  me  these  things. 


81  Q  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

9.  Then  saith  he  unto  me,  See  thou  do  it  not ;  for  I  am  thy 
fellow-servant,  and  of  thy  brethren  the  prophets,  and  of  them 
which  keep  the  sayings  of  this  book  ;  worship  God.  10. 
And  he  saith  unto  me,  Seal  not  the  sayings  of  the  prophecy 
of  this  book  ;  for  the  time  is  at  hand.  11.  He  that  is  un- 
just, let  him  be  unjust  still ;  and  he  which  is  filthy,  let  him 
be  filthy  still ;  and  he  that  is  righteous,  let  him  be  righteous 
still ;  and  he  that  is  holy,  let  him  be  holy  still.  12.  And 
behold,  I  come  quickly  ;  and  my  reward  is  with  me,  to  give 
every  man  according  as  his  work  shall  be. 

For  remarks  on  verse  9,  see  on  chap.  19  : 10.  In 
verse  10  John  is  told  not  to  seal  the  sayings  of  the 
prophecy  of  this  boo!?:.  Popular  theology  says  that 
the  book  is  sealed.  One  of  two  things  follows  from 
this :  either  John  disobeyed  his  instructions,  or  pop- 
ular theology  is  fulfilling  Isa.  29  :  10-14.  Verse  11 
proves  that  probation  closes,  and  the  cases  of  all  are 
unalterably  fixed  before  the  coming  of  Christ ;  for  in 
the  very  next  verse  Christ  says,  "  Behold,  I  come 
quickly."  What  dangerous  and  insane  presumption, 
then,  to  claim  as  Age-to-come  believers  do,  that  there 
will  be  probation  even  after  that  event !  Christ's 
reward  is  with  him,  to  give  every  man  as  his  work 
shall  be ;  which  is  another  conclusive  proof  that 
there  can  be  no  probation  after  that  event ;  for  all 
the  living  wicked,  those  "who  know  not  God,"  the 
heathen,  and  those  "  who  obey  not  the  gospel  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  the  sinners  of  Christian  lands, 
2  Thess.  1 :  8,  will  be  visited  with  swift  destruction 
from  Him  who  then  comes  in  flaming  fire  to  take 
vengeance  on  his  foes. 

The  declaration  of   verse  11,  marks  the  close  of 


CHAPTER  XXII,    VERSES  8-14.  §17 

probation,  which  is  the  close  of  Christ's  work  as 
mediator.  But  we  are  taught  by  the  subject  of  the 
sanctuary  that  this  work  closes  with  the  examination 
of  the  cases  of  the  living  in  the  investigative  Judg- 
ment. When  this  is  accomplished,  the  irrevocable 
fiat  can  go  forth.  But  when  the  cases  of  the  living 
are  reached  in  the  work  of  Judgment,  we  apprehend 
that  what  remains  to  be  done  will  be  so  speedily  ac- 
complished that  all  these  cases  may  almost  be  said  to 
be  decided  simultaneously.  We  have  therefore  no 
occasion  to  speculate  as  to  the  order  of  work  among 
the  living,  that  is,  whose  cases  will  be  decided  first, 
and  whose  last,  nor  whether  it  will  be  known  that 
any  are  decided  before  all  is  finished. 

VERSE  13.  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  beginning  and  the 
end,  the  first  and  the  last.  14.  Blessed  are  they  that  do  His 
commandments,  that  they  may  have  right  to  the  tree  of  life, 
and  may  enter  in  through  the  gates  into  the  city. 

Christ  here  applies  to  himself  the  appellation  of 
Alpha  and  Omega.  As  applied  to  him,  the  expres- 
sion must  be  taken  in  a  more  limited  sense  than  when 
applied  to  the  Father,  as  in  chap.  1:8.  Christ  is  the 
Alpha  and  Omega,  the  beginning  and  the  end,  of  the 
great  plan  of  salvation.  Verse  14,  as  before  noticed, 
is  the  language  of  Christ.  The  commandments  of 
which  he  speaks  are  his  Father's.  Reference  can  be 
had  only  to  the  ten  commandments  as  delivered  on 
Mt.  Sinai.  He  pronounces  a  blessing  upon  those  who 
keep  them.  Thus  in  the  closing  chapter  of  the  word 
of  God,  and  near  the  very  close  of  the  last  testimony 

which  the  faithful  and  true  Witness  there  left  for  his 
52 


818  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

people,  he  solemnly  pronounces  a  blessing  upon  those 
who  keep  the  commandments  of  God.  Let  those  who 
believe  in  the  abolition  of  the  law,  weigh  well  this 
fact. 

VERSE  15.  For  without  are  clogs,  and  sorcerers,  and  whore- 
mongers, and  murderers,  and  idolaters,  and  whosoever  loveth 
and  maketh  a  lie. 

Dog  is  the  Bible  symbol  of  a  shameless  and  im- 
pudent man.  Who  would  wish  to  be  left  in  the 
company  of  those  whose  lot  is  outside  of  the  city  of 
God  !  yet  how  many  will  stand  condemned  as  idola- 
ters, how  many  as  those  who  make  lies,  and  how 
many  more  as  those  who  love  them  and  love  to  cir- 
culate them  after  they  are  made ! 

VEIISE  16.  I  Jesus  have  sent  mine  angel  to  testify  unto 
you  these  things  in  the  churches.  I  am  the  root  and  the  off- 
spring of  David,  and  the  bright  and  morning  star. 

Jesus  testifies  these  things  in  the  churches,  show- 
ing that  the  whole  book  of  Revelation  is  given  to  the 
seven  churches;  which  is  another  incidental  proof 
that  the  seven  churches  are  representatives  of  the 
church  through  the  entire  gospel  dispensation.  Christ 
is  the  offspring  of  David,  in  that  he  appeared  on  earth 
in  the  line  of  David's  descendants.  He  is  the  root  of 
David,  inasmuch  as  he  is  the  great  antitype  of  David 
and  the  maker  and  upholder  of  all  things. 

VERSE  17.  And  the  Spirit  and  the  bride  say,  Come.  And 
let  him  that  heareth  say,  Come.  And  let  him  that  is  athirst 
come.  And  whosoever  will,  let  him  take  the  water  of  life 
freely. 


CHAPTER  XXII,  VERSE  17. 


Thus  are  all  invited  to  come.  The  Lord's  love  for 
mankind  would  not  be  satisfied  in  merely  preparing 
the  blessings  of  eternal  life,  opening  the  way  to 
them,  and  announcing  that  all  might  come  who 
would  ;  but  he  sends  out  an  earnest  invitation  to 
come.  He  sets  it  forth  as  a  favor  done  to  himself,  if 
persons  will  come  and  partake  of  the  infinite  bless- 
ings provided  by  his  infinite  love.  His  invitation, 
how  gracious  !  how  full  I  how  free  !  None  of  those 
who  are  finally  lost  will  ever  have  occasion  to  find 
fault  with  the  provisions  that  have  been  made  for 
their  salvation.  They  can  never  find  fault  with  the 
light  that  has  been  granted  to  show  them  the  way  of 
life.  They  can  never  find  fault  with  the  invitations 
and  entreaties  that  Mercy  has  given  them  to  turn 
and  live.  From  the  very  beginning  there  has  been 
a  power  exerted,  as  strong  as  could  be  and  still  leave 
man  his  own  free  agent,  —  a  power  to  draw  him 
Heavenward  and  raise  him  from  the  abyss  into 
which  he  had  fallen.  Come  !  has  been  the  entreaty 
of  the  Spirit,  from  the  lips  of  God  himself,  from  the 
lips  of  his  prophets,  from  the  lips  of  his  apostles,  and 
from  the  lips  of  his  Son,  even  while  in  his  infinite 
compassion  and  humility  he  was  paying  the  debt  of 
our  transgression. 

The  last  message  of  mercy  that  is  now  going  forth, 
is  another  and  final  utterance  of  divine  long-  suffering 
and  compassion.  Come,  is  the  invitation  it  gives. 
Come,  for  all  things  are  ready.  And  the  last  sound 
that  will  fall  from  Mercy's  lips  on  the  ear  of  the  sin- 
ner, ere  the  thunders  of  vengeance  burst  upon  him, 


820  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

will  be  the  heavenly  invitation,  Come.  So  great  is 
the  loving-kindness  of  a  merciful  God  to  rebellious 
man.  Yet  they  will  not  come.  Acting  independ- 
ently and  deliberately,  they  refuse  to  come.  So 
when  they  shall  see  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  in 
the  kingdom  of  God,  and  themselves  thrust  out,  they 
will  have  no  one  to  accuse,  no  one  to  blame  but  their 
own  selves.  They  will  be  brought  to  feel  this  in  all 
its  bitterness;  for  the  time  will  come  in  which  it  will 
be  as  described  by  Pollok,  when  he  says, 

'  And  evermore  the  thunders  murmuring  spoke 
From  out  the  darkness,  uttering  loud  these  words, 
Which  every  guilty  conscience  echoed  back: 
'Ye knew  your  duty,  but  ye  did  it  not.' 
Dread  words !  that  barred  excuse,  and  threw  the  weight 
Of  every  man's  perdition  on  himself 

Directly  home 

'Ye  knew  your  duty,  but  ye  did  it  not.'  " 

The  bride  also  says,  Come.  But  the  bride  is  the 
city,  and  how  does  that  say,  Come  ?  If  we  could  be 
strengthened  to  behold  the  living  glories  of  that 
city,  and  live,  and  should  be  permitted  to  gaze  upon 
its  dazzling  beauty,  and  be  assured  that  we  had  a 
perfect  right  to  enter  therein,  and  bathe  in  that 
ocean  of  bliss  and  blessedness,  and  revel  in  its  glory 
forever  and  ever,  would  it  not  then  say  to  us,  Come, 
with  a  persuasion  which  no  power  could  resist  ? 
Who  of  us  in  view  of  this  could  turn  away  and  say, 
I  have  no  desire  for  an  inheritance  there  ? 

But  though  we  cannot  now  look  upon  that  city, 
the  unfailing  word  of  God  has  promised  it,  and  that 
is  sufficient  to  inspire  in  us  an  implicit  and  living 


CHAPTER  JL2L/Z,   VERSE  17.  §21 

faith  ;  and  through  the  channel  of  that  faith  it  says 
to  us,  Come.  Come,  if  you  would  inherit  mansions 
where  sickness,  sorrow,  pain,  and  death,  can  never 
enter ;  if  you  would  have  a  right  to  the  tree  of  life, 
and  pluck  its  immortal  fruit,  and  eat  and  live ;  if 
you  would  drink  of  the  water  of  the  river  of  life, 
that  flows  from  the  throne  of  God,  clear  as  crys- 
tal. Come,  if  you  would  obtain  through  those  glit- 
tering gates  of  pearl  an  abundant  entrance  into  the 
eternal  city ;  if  you  would  walk  its  streets  of  trans- 
parent gold ;  if  you  would  behold  its  glowing  foun- 
dation stones;  if  you  would  see  the  King  in  his 
beauty  on  his  azure  throne.  Come,  if  you  would 
sing  the  jubilee  song  of  millions,  and  share  their 
joy.  Come,  if  you  would  join  the  anthems  of  the 
redeemed  with  their  melodious  harps,  and  know 
that  your  exile  is  forever  over  and  this  is  your 
eternal  home.  Come,  if  you  would  receive  a  palm 
of  victory,  and  know  that  you  are  forever  free. 
Come,  if  you  would  exchange  the  furrows  of  your 
careworn  brow  for  a  jeweled  crown.  Come,  if  you 
would  see  the  salvation  of  the  ransomed  myriads, 
the  glorified  throng  which  no  man  can  number. 
Come,  if  you  would  drink  from  the  pure  fountain 
of  celestial  bliss,  if  you  would  shine  as  the  stars  for- 
ever in  the  firmament  of  glory,  if  you  would  share 
in  the  unutterable  rapture  that  fills  the  triumphant 
hosts  as  they  behold  before  them  unending  ages  of 
glory  ever  brightening,  and  joys  ever  new. 

The  bride  does  say,  Come.     Who  of  us  can  resist 
the  invitation  ?     The  word  of  truth  is  pledged  to  us 


822  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  ItEVELATION. 

that  if  we  keep  the  commandments  of  God  and  the 
faith  of  Jesus,  we  shall  have  right  to  the  tree  of  life, 
we  shall  enter  in  through  the  gates  into  the  city. 
And  we  shall  feel  that  we  are  at  home  in  our  Fa- 
ther's house,  amid  those  gorgeous  splendors,  and 
that  these  very  mansions  were  prepared  for  us  ;  and 
we  shall  realize  the  full  truth  of  those  cheering 
words,  "  Blessed  are  they  which  are  called  unto  the 
marriage-supper  of  the  Lamb."  Rev.  19  :  9. 

"  Let  him  that  heareth  say,  Come."  We  have 
heard  of  the  glory,  of  the  beauty,  of  the  blessings, 
of  that  goodly  land,  and  we  say,  Come.  We  have 
heard  of  the  river  with  its  verdant  banks,  of  the 
tree  with  its  healing  leaves,  of  the  ambrosial  bowers 
that  bloom  in  the  Paradise  of  God,  and  we  say, 
Come.  Whosoever  will,  let  him  come  and  take  of 
the  water  of  life  freely. 

VEUSE  18.  For  I  testify  unto  every  man  that  heareth  the 
words  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book,  if  any  man  shall  add 
unto  these  things,  God  shall  add  unto  him  the  plagues  that 
are  written  in  this  book.  19.  And  if  any  man  shall  take 
away  from  the  words  of  the  book  of  this  prophecy,  God  shall 
take  away  his  part  out  of  the  book  of  life,  and  out  of  the  holy 
city,  and  from  the  things  which  are  written  in  this  book. 

What  is  it  to  add  to,  or  take  from,  the  book  of 
this  prophecy  ?  Let  it  be  borne  in  mind  that  it  is 
the  book  of  this  prophecy,  or  the  Revelation,  which 
is  the  subject  of  remark  ;  hence  the  additions  or  de- 
tractions are  to  be  from  this  book.  Nothing  can  be 
called  an  addition  to  this  book  except  something 
added  with  an  effort  to  palm  it  off  as  a  part  of  the 


CHAPTER  XX2I,   VERSES  20,  21.  323 

genuine  book  of  Revelation.  To  take  from  it  would 
be  to  suppress  some  of  it.  As  the  book  of  Revela- 
tion could  not  be  called  an  addition  to  the  book  of 
Daniel,  so  if  God  should  see  fit  to  make  further  rev- 
elations to  us  by  his  Spirit,  it  would  be  no  addition 
to  the  book  of  Revelation,  unless  it  should  claim  to 
be  a  part  of  that  book. 

VERSE  20.  He  which  testifieth  these  things  saith,  Surely  I 
come  quickly :  Amen.  Even  so,  come,  Lord  Jesus.  21. 
The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  be  with  you  all.  Amen. 

The  word  of  God  is  given  to  instruct  us  in  refer- 
ence to  the  plan  of  salvation.  The  second  coming 
of  Christ  is  to  be  the  climax  and  completion  of  that 
great  scheme ;  it  is  most  appropriate,  therefore, 
that  the  book  should  close  with  the  solemn  an- 
aouncement,  Behold,  I  come  quickly.  Be  it  ours  to 
join  with  fervent  hearts  in  the  response  of  the  apos- 
tle, "  Amen.  Even  so,  come,  Lord  Jesus." 

Thus  closes  the  volume  of  inspiration — closes 
K-'.th  that  which  constitutes  the  best  of  all  promises, 
ami  the  substance  of  the  Christian's  hope,  the  re- 
turn of  Christ.  Then  shall  the  elect  be  gathered 
and  bid  a  long  farewell  to  all  the  ills  of  this  mortal 
life.  How  rich  in  all  that  is  precious  to  the  Chris- 
tian is  this  promise.  Wandering  an  exile  in  this 
evil  world,  separated  from  the  few  of  like  precious 
faith,  he  longs  for  the  companionship  of  the  right- 
eous, the  communion  of  saints.  Here  he  shall  ob- 
tain it ;  for  all  the  good  shall  be  gathered,  not  from 
one  land  only,  but  from  all  lands;  not  from  one 
age  only,  but  from  all  ages, — the  great  harvest  of  all 


824 


THOUGHT  IS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 


the  good,  coming  up  in  long  and  glorious  proces- 
sion, while  angels  shout  the  harvest  home,  and  the 
timbrels  of  Heaven  sound  forth  in  joyous  concert, — 
and  a  song  before  unheard,  unknown,  in  the  uni- 
verse, the  song  of  the  redeemed,  shall  add  its  mar- 
velous notes  of  rapture  and  melody  to  the  universal 
jubilee.  So  shall  the  saints  be  gathered,  to  be  joy- 
ful in  each  other's  presence  forever  and  ever, 

"  While  the  glory  of  God,  like  a  molten  sea, 
Bathes  the  immortal  company." 

This  gathering  has  nothing  in  it  but  that  which 
is  desirable.  The  saints  can  but  sigh  and  pray  for 
it.  Like  Job,  they  cry  out  for  the  presence  of  God. 
Like  David,  they  cannot  be  satisfied  till  they  awake 
in  his  likeness.  In  this  mortal  condition  we  groan, 
being  burdened,  not  for  that  we  would  be  un- 
clothed, but  clothed  upon.  We  can  but  be  "  upon 
tiptoe  "  for  the  adoption,  to  wit,  the  redemption  of 
the  body.  Our  eyes  are  open  for  its  visions ;  our 
ears  are  waiting  to  catch  the  sounds  of  the  heav- 
enly music,  and  our  hearts  are  beating  in  anticipa- 
tion of  its  infinite  joy.  Our  appetites  are  growing 
sharp  for  the  marriage  supper.  We  cry  out  for  the 
living  God,  and  long  to  come  into  his  presence. 
Come,  Lord  Jesus,  come  quickly.  No  news  more 
welcome  than  to  know  that  the  command  has  gone 
forth  from  the  Lord  to  his  angels,  Gather  together 
unto  me  my  elect  from  the  four  winds  of  heaven. 

The  place  of  the  gathering  has  nothing  but  at- 
traction. Jesus,  the  fairest  among  ten  thousands,  is 
there.  The  throne  of  God  and  the  Lamb,  in  the 


CHAPTER  XXII,  VERSE  SO,  SI.  325 

glory  of  which  the  sun  disappears  as  the  stars  van- 
ish in  the  light  of  day,  is  there.  The  city  of  jas- 
per and  gold,  whose  builder  and  maker  is  God,  is 
there.  The  river  of  life,  sparkling  with  the  glory 
of  God  and  flowing  from  his  throne  in  infinite  pu- 
rity and  peace,  is  there.  The  tree  of  life,  with  its 
healing  leaves  and  life-giving  fruit,  is  there.  Abra- 
ham, Isaac,  and  Jacob,  Noah,  Job,  and  Daniel, 
prophets,  apostles,  and  martyrs,  the  perfection  of 
heavenly  society,  will  be  there.  Visions  of  beauty 
are  there ;  fields  of  living  green,  flowers  that 
never  fade,  streams  that  never  dry,  products  in  va- 
riety that  never  end,  fruits  that  never  decay, 
crowns  that  never  dim,  harps  that  know  no  dis- 
cord, and  all  else  of  which  a  taste  purified  from  sin 
and  raised  to  the  plane  of  immortality  can  form 
any  conception,  or  think  desirable,  will  be  there. 

We  must  be  there.  We  must  bask  in  the  forgiv- 
ing smiles  of  a  God  to  whom  we  have  become  rec- 
onciled, and  sin  no  more;  we  must  have  access  to 
that  exhaustless  fount  of  vitality,  the  fruit  of  the 
tree  of  life,  and  never  die ;  we  must  repose  under 
the  shadow  of  its  leaves,  which  are  for  the  service 
of  the  nations,  and  never  again  grow  weary ;  we 
must  drink  from  the  life-giving  fountain,  and  thirst 
nevermore ;  we  must  bathe  in  its  silvery  spray,  and 
be  refreshed;  we  must  walk  on  its  golden  sands, 
and  feel  that  we  are  no  longer  exiles ;  we  must  ex- 
change the  cross  for  the  crown,  and  feel  that  the 
days  of  our  humiliation  are  ended;  we  must  lay 
down  the  staff  and  take  the  palm  branch,  and  feel 


826  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  REVELATION. 

that  the  journey  is  done ;  we  must  put  off  the  rent 
garments  of  our  warfare,  for  the  white  robes  of  tri- 
umph, and  feel  that  the  conflict  is  ended  and  the 
victory  gained ;  we  must  exchange  the  toil-worn, 
dusty  girdle  of  our  pilgrimage,  for  the  glorious  vest- 
ure of  immortality,  and  feel  that  sin  and  the  curse 
can  nevermore  pollute  us.  0  day  of  rest  and 
triumph,  and  every  good,  delay  not  thy  dawning ! 
Let  the  angels  at  once  be  sent  to  gather  the  elect. 
Let  that  promise  be  fulfilled  which  bears  in  its 
train  these  matchless  glories.  Come,  Lord  Jesus, 
come  quickly. 


Jl      f® 
I '  §>^^ 


\c. 
€• 


GENERAL    INDEX. 


PAGE. 

ABOMINATION  OP  DESOLATION,  set  up  how  and  when,  346-351 

A  characteristic  of  sacred  writings,       ....  25 

Arianism  opposed  to  the  papacy,           ....  165 

African  war,  A.  D.  533,  against  Arians,         .         .         .  175 

Arianism  overthrown,            ......  176 

Actium,  battle  of,  fulfills  Dan.  11:  25,           .         .         .  329 

A  difficulty  explained, 36 

Alexander  the  Great,  first  king  of  the  Grecian  king- 
dom, 66,  his  disgusting  self-conceit,  68,  his  char- 
acter and  death, 69 

Antiochus  Magnus  fulfills  Dan.  11:13,  15,   .         .      306,309 
Antiochus  Theus,  Laodice,  and  Berenice,  fulfill  Dan. 

11:6,                      299 

Antony  and  Caesar  fulfill  Dan.  11:27,  .         .         .333 

Artaxerxes  Longimanus,  his  decree  to  build  Jerusalem, 

263,  date  of  his  seventh  year,        ....  273 

A  time,  meaning  of,     .......  112 

Alpha  and  Omega,  meaning  of, 446 

Angel  of  the  church,  who, 454 

Antipas,  who, 465 

A  door  in  heaven  opened,     .         .         .         .     .    .         .  505 

A  happy  unrest,            .......  512 

Ancient  books,  form  of,        ......  514 

An  angelic  challenge,            ......  516 

An  impressive  representation,      .....  520 

A  clean  universe,          .......  525 

An  angel  ascending  from  the  East,       ....  570 

Alaric,  the  Gothic  chieftain, 596 

Attila,  the  Hun, 605 

(827) 


828  GENERAL    INDEX. 

PAGE. 

Augustulus,  the  last  emperor  of  the  West,   .         .         .  608 

A  remarkable  command, 618 

Arabian  horsemen,       .         .         .         .         .         .         .  623 

A  remarkable  prophetic  period, 629 

A  parenthetical  prophecy, 637 

A  blasphemous  watchword,           .....  655 

Apostate  Christendom, 759 

Amazing  judgments, 762 

A  startling  contrast, 774 

Azazel,  the  devil, 777 

A  second  lake  of  fire,            ......  789 

Absurdity  of  Age-to-come  views,           ....  787 

All  tears  wiped  away,            ......  798 

A  difficulty  explained,           .         .                  .         .         .  813 

Adding  to,  or  taking  from,  the  Revelation,  .         .         .  822 

BABYLONISH  EMPIRE,  when  founded,  52,  its  extent,  52, 
Babylon,  city,  description  of,  54,  stratagem  of  Cy- 
rus by  which  it  was  taken,  59,  steps  by  which  it 
was  finally  utterly  ruined,  ....  61-63 

Barnes  on  Dan.  7:24, 166 

Bear,  symbol  of  the  Persian  Kingdom,         .         .         .  148 
Beast,  great  and  terrible,  symbol  of  Rome,           .         .  152 
Belshazzar,  his  impious  feast,  120,  supposed  to  be  an 
annual  celebration  of  the  victory  of  the  Babylo- 
nians over  the  Jews,  121,  selected  by  Cyrus  as  the 
best  time  to  undertake  the  reduction  of  the  city,  58,  127 
Belshazzar's  feast,  poetical  description  of,     .         .       127-135 
Black  Sea,  opened  to  Russia,  381,  but  lost  in  the  Cri- 
mean war, 381 

Bonaparte's  dream  of  Eastern  glory,     ....  365 

Bonaparte  repulsed  by  the  Turks,         ....  368 

Bonaparte's  prediction  of  Russian  progress,           .         .  382 

Benediction  by  the  Lord,     ......  425 

Book  of  life, 478 

Belisarius  subdues  Italy,      ......  610 


GENERAL    INDEX.  $29 


PAGE. 


Beginning  of  the  seventh  trumpet,       .         .         .         .  644 

Bartholomew's  massacre, 655 

CAESAR,  AUGUSTUS,  fulfills  Dan.  11:20,         .        .         .  319 
"       Julius,  his  war  with  Egypt,  316,  fulfills  Dan. 

11:18,19, 317,318 

"      Tiberius,  fulfills  Dan.  11:21,  22,       .         .     321-324 

Captivity,  70  years',  Jer.  25:12,  understood  by  Daniel,  243 
Chittim,  where  this  country  was  situated,  338,  ships 

of,  came  against  Rome  in  fulfillment  of  Dan.  11 : 30,  338 
Christ  crucified  in  A.  D.  31,  272,  under  Tiberius  Csesar, 

in  fulfillment  of  Dan.  11:22,           ....  324 

Christian  Era,  date  of,  (note), 269 

Clarke,  note  on  Dan.  11:44, 374 

Commandment  to  restore  and  build  Jerusalem,    .      268-274 

Cleopatra,  queen  of  Egypt,  fulfills  Dan.  11:17,  .  .  313 
Connivance  of  the  pope  with  the  emperor  of  the  East,  171,  173 
Cowles,  H.,  D.D.,  his  position  refuted,  .  .  72,  78 

Crimean  war,  a  fulfillment  of  Dan.  11:44,  .  .  .  374 
Criticism  on  Bush  and  Whiting's  translation  of  Dan. 

12:2,     .                                    396 

Cyrus,  his  relation  to  the  kingdoms  of  Media  and  Per- 
sia, 64,  his  stratagem  in  the  conquest  of  Babylon,  58 
Christ's  angel,       ........  423 

Churches  in  Asia,  significance  of,          ....  427 

Christ  the  prince, 432 

Christ's  coming  visible,         ......  435 

Church's  response,        .......  437 

Church  of  Ephesus,  meaning  of,           ....  453 

Christ  at  the  heart, 498 

Christ's  two  thrones, 504 

Christ  takes  the  book, 517 

Chronology  of  the  dark  day,          .         .         .         .         .  559 

of  the  sealing  work, 568 

Constantinople  taken, 629 

Close  of  prophetic  time, 643 


830  GENERAL   INDEX, 

PAGE. 

Christ  amid  earthly  scenes,  .....     668 

Christian  persecuting  powers,        ....      677-698 

Church  and  State,         .......     747 

Christ's  mediation  forever  finished,,       ....     810 

DANIEL,  his  wisdom,  21,  acknowledged  a  prophet  by 
Christ,  22,  prophets  who  were  contemporary  with 
him  and  succeeded  him,  22,  objections  to  his 
prophecy  by  Porpkyry,  24,  date  of  his  captivity, 
24,  26,  his  age,  24,  his  first  experience  in  the  court 
of  Babylon,  28-33,  God's  providence  in  his  behalf 
in  the  matter  of  Nebuchadnezzar's  dream,  41,  de- 
livered from  the  lions,  136-144,  Ijis  vision  of  the 
four  beasts,  145,  of  the  ram,  he  goat,  and  little 
horn,  189,  his  last  vision,  283,  what  is  meant  by 
his  standing  in  his  lot,  ....  414 

Daniel,  book  of,  written  in  Chaldee  from  chap.  2:4  to 

the  end  of  chap.  7,  all  the  rest  in  Hebrew,  .  38,  189 

Darius,  who  took  the  throne  of  Babylon,  his  efforts  to 
deliver  Daniel,  141,  his  sentence  against  Daniel's 
accusers,  141,  his  decree,  ....  143  144 

Darius  Codomannus,  last  king  of  the  old  Persian  mon- 
archy, 65,  his  great  humiliation  and  death,  .  66,  67 

D'Aubigne  on  the  influence  of  the  Popes,      .         .         .     174 

Days,  the  2300,  209,  why  not  explained  in  chap.  8,  242, 
explained  in  chap.  9,  255-260,  genuineness  of  the 
reading,  .  276 

Days,  the  1335  explained, 411 

Dates  for  the  commandment  to  restore  and  build  Jeru- 
salem, considered, 263 

Decree,  one  of  the  oldest  on  record,  108,  nature  of,  by 

Medes  and  Persians, 133 

Decree  of  Cyrus,  Darius,  and  Artaxerxes  reckoned  as 

one,  .  275 

Date  of  the  Revelation, 444 

Darkening  of  the  sun,  ....  550 


GENERAL   INDEX.  831 

PAGE. 

Death  of  Theodosius, 596 

Destruction  of  Leo's  fleet, 603 

Different  forms  of  Roman  government,         .         .         .     751 

EASTERN  QUESTION,  what  it  is,     .         .         .         .     378,  384 
Elajn  fulfilled  prophecy  of  Isaiah  and  Jeremiah  against 

Babylon, 190 

Egypt  invaded  by  the  French,      .....     366 
Ezra,  his  commission  from  Artaxerxes,         .         .      264,  266 

Experience  of  John, 438 

Eye-salve, 494 

Encouragement  for  the  Christian,         ....     595 
Extent  of  Gothic  conquests,          ....      697-599 

Extinction  of  Western  Rome, 604 

Exaltation  of  the  Bible, 657 

Euphrates,  drying  up  of,  .         .         .         .      732-736 

Execution  of  the  sentence,  .         .         .         .         •     790 

FASTING,  of  what  it  sometimes  consisted,  .  .  .  285 
Financial  condition  of  Turkey,  .....  385 
France,  prophecy  of  revolution  in,  .  .  .  353-363 
"  alone,  once  atheistic,  .....  355 
French  complaints  against  Egypt,  ....  365 

Falling  of  the  stars, 652 

Fall  of  Chosroes,  king  of  Persia,  .         .         .      613-616 

Five  months  of  torment, 625 

Fall  of  the  Ottoman  supremacy,  ....     633 

France  makes  war  on  the  Bible,  ....     655 

Fate  of  the  fearful  and  unbelieving,     .         .         .         .799 

GABRIEL,  an  angel  not  a  man,  237,  commanded  to 
make  Daniel  understand  the  vision,  237,  effect  of 
his  appearance  on  Daniel,  238,  Christ's  angel,  237, 
286,  explains  to  Daniel  in  chap.  9  and  onward 
what  he  omitted  in  chap.  8,  ....  249 


832  GENERAL   INDEX. 

PAGE. 

Goat,  symbol  of  Grecia,  192,  240,  fitness  of  the  symbol, 

[192,  193 

Goddess  of  Reason, 359 

Great  words  of  little  horn  heard  in  1870,      .         .         .157 

Gathering  to  the  battle, 738 

Graphic  description  of  a  hail  storm,      ....     742 

God's  armory, 744 

God's  tabernacle  with  men, 797 

Geiiseric,  the  Vandal, 600 

HALE,  APOLLOS,  in  "Advent  Manual  "  on  taking  away 

the  daily, 344 

Heads,  meaning  of  four  on  leopard,  150,  their  names,  .     150 

Horns,  ten,  on  the  4th  beast  of  Dan.  7  signify  ten  king- 
doms, 152,  their  names, 152 

Horn,  the  little,  of  the  4th  beast  of  Dan.  7,  a  symbol 

of  the  papacy, 161-186 

Horns,  three,  plucked  up  before  the  little  horn,  and 

their  names, 165-176 

Horn  of  the  goat,  symbol  of  Alexander,  192,  nature  of 

his  conquests, 194 

Horns,  four  of  the  goat,  symbolize  four  divisions  of  Al- 
exander's empire,  196,  their  names,  196,  the  gen- 
erals who  secured  these  divisions  for  themselves,  .  196 

Horn,  little  of  Dan.  8,  not  a  symbol  of  Antiochus 
Epiphanes,  198,  but  a  symbol  of  Rome,  200-204, 
how  it  came  forth  from  one  of  the  horns  of  the 
goat,  201,  accurate  fulfillment  by  Rome,  .  .  201 

Host  given  to  papal  horn, 179 

Heaven  a  real  place, 522 

"      opened, 772 

How  the  bride  says,  Come, 820 

IMAGE,  the  great,  of  Dan.  2,  interpreted,     ...       51 
In  the  Spirit,  meaning  of, 441 


GENERAL  INDEX.  333 

PAGE. 

JERUSALEM,  captured.  26,  destroyed  by  Nebuchadnez- 
zar, 26,  decree  for  restoring  and  building,  64,  de- 
stroyed finally  in  A.  D.  70,  ....  335 

Judea  invaded  by  the  Romans,  and  the  terrible  distress 

predicted  by  Moses  fulfilled,          ....     335 

Judgment,  temporal,  on  the  papacy,  162,  by  saints  in 
union  with  Christ,  162,  executed  on  the  papacy  at 
the  end  of  the  1,000  years,  ....  162 

Justinian's  decree  making  the  pope  the  head  of  all  the 

churches, 347 

Jezebel,  who, .         .         .     471 

John  Palseologus,  death  of, 628 

"     overcome  by  his  glorious  vision,  .         .         .     815 

KINGDOM  OF  GOD  not  set  up  at  first  advent,  75,  when 
established,  87-94,  not  the  church,  90,  how  intro- 
duced in  Dan.  2,  p.  89,  a  matter  of  hope  to  the 
church,  89,  objections  answered,  90-93,  taken  by 
the  Son  of  man  at  the  close  of  his  priestly  work, 
157,  158,  possessed  at  last  by  the  saints  with  Christ 

at  their  head, 159 

Knowledge  greatly  increased  since  the  time  of  the  end,     403 

Key  of  David,  what, 481 

Kingly  priesthood  of  Christ, 501 

LAND  divided  for  gain,  Dan.  11:39,      ....  362 

League  between  Jews  and  Romans,      ....  327 
Legs  of  the  great  image  do  not  denote  the  Eastern  and 

Western  empires  of  Rome, 80 

Leopard,  symbol  of  Grecia, 149 

Libyians  and  Ethiopians,  who,     .....  374 

Lion  a  symbol  of  Babylon, 147 

London  congress  of  nations, 383 

Lot,  meaning  of  in  Dan.  12: 13, 415 

Leo's  efforts  against  Genseric, 602 

53 


834  GENERAL   INDEX. 

PAGE. 

MAGICIANS,  astrologers,  sorcerers,  etc,  who,  37,  their 
cunning,  38,  issue  of  the  struggle  between  them 
and  Nebuchadnezzar,  ....  39,  40 

Marriage  abolished  in  France, 356 

Matthew,  Henry,  note  from, 117 

Mede's  view  of  Dan.  7:24, 166 

Michael,  who  was  he,  291,  390,  his  standing  up,  .     295,  390 

Millennium,  temporal,  a  fable  of  the  last  days,    .         .  155 

Moldavia  and  Bessarabia  acquired  by  Russia,       .         .  381 

Magnitude  of  the  heavenly  temple,       ....  524 

Majorian's  effort  against  Genseric,        ....  601 

Mark  of  the  beast, 707 

Monthly  worship  in  the  New  Jerusalem,       .         .         .  814 

NEBUCHADNEZZAR,  his  character,  31,  47,  his  personal 
interest  in  the  Hebrew  captives,  35,  his  dream 
adapted  to  his  condition,  49,  extent  of  his  empire, 
52,  his  idolatrous  image,  98-107,  his  humiliation, 
108-119,  faith  and  state  of  mind  in  which  he 
probably  died,  .  .  .  .  .  ;  .119 
Newton's  view  of  Dan.  7:24,  .  .  .  .  .166 

Nicsea,  council  of, 165 

North,  king  of,  who, 297,  298,  364 

Nicolaitanes,  who, 456 

Neither  cold  nor  hot, 488 

New  Jerusalem,  a  Christian  city,          ....     584 

Number  of  Turkish  warriors, 630 

Number  of  hia  name,  .......     695 

New  heaven  and  new  earth,          .....     794 

No  more  sea, 796 

No  night  in  heaven,     .......     810 

ODOACER,  his  work  and  belief,     ....      167,  170 

Opposition  to  papal  yoke,     ......     170 

Ostrogoths  were  Arians, 168 


GENERAL  INDEX.  §35 

PAGE. 

Overturn,  overturn,  overturn",  Eze.  21:25-27,  how  ful- 
filled,      239 

Othman,  founder  of  the  Ottoman  empire,     .         .         .  626 

"       invades  Nicomedia,        .....  626 

Our  deeds  recorded, 790 

PAGANISM,  overthrown  in  A.  D.  508,  .  .  .  341,  346 
Papacy,  titles  of,  177,  178,  symbolized  by  little  horn  of 
fourth  beast  of  Dan.  7, 152, 161,  its  war  against  the 
saints,  161,  178-183,  attempts  to  change  times  and 
laws,  183,  its  supremacy  established  in  538,  184, 
346-350,  overthrown  at  the  end  of  the  1260  years, 
185,  how  destroyed  at  last,  186,  recent  striking 

fulfillment  of  prophecy  concerning,        .         .         .  187 

Papal  power,  origin  of, 164 

Passovers,  only  four  attended  by  the  Saviour,       .         .  270 
Persian  Kingdom  conquered  Babylon  B.  c.  538,  64,  its 
character,  63,  conquered  by  Grecia  B.  c.  331,  194, 

Newton's  testimony, 194 

Persecution,  papal,  predicted,  Dan.  11:33,           .         .  351 

Pompey,  first  of  the  Romans  who  conquered  Judea,     .  311 

Pope  established  by  decree  of  Justinian,  see  papacy,    .  347 

Popes  the  authors  of  religious  wars,      ....  169 

Progress  of  Bonaparte's  campaign  in  Egypt,         .         .  366 

Prophecies,  why  repeated, 148 

Prayer,  remarkable  power  of,       .         .         .         .      290,  291 

Ptolemy,  King  of  Egypt,  fulfilled  Dan.  11:5,       .         .  299 

"       Philadelphus,         "            "     11:6,       .         .  299 

"        Euergetes,              "            "     11:7-9,   .         .  301 

"        Philopator,             "            "     11:11,12,        .  304 

Pulse,  what, .33 

Paradise,  translated, 458 

Philadelphia  defined, 481 

Paraphrase  of  1  Cor.  15:24-28, 502 

Prayer,  sweet  incense  to  God, 521 


836  GENERAL  INDEX. 

PAGE. 

Popery  beyond  reformation,         .         .         .         .         .     756 
Papal  power  still  felt, 756 

RAM,  symbol  of  Medo-Persia,      ....     191,  239 

Ranke  on  Arian  troubles, 169 

Reformation,  the  great,  predicted,  Dan.  11:34,    .         .     352 
Resurrection  of  Dan.  12: 2,  what,         .         .         .         .395 

Robbers  of  God's  people,  who, 307 

Rome  succeeds  Grecia,  69,  testimony  of  Gibbon,  70, 
interfered  in  behalf  of  Egypt,  308,  fulfills  Dan. 
11:  16,  17,  311,  313,  its  divided  state  to  continue 
to  the  end,  83,  no  universal  kingdom  to  succeed  it,       86 
Russia  disregards  treaty  of  1856,  .         .         .         .     379 

Russo-Turkish  war  of  1877, 384 

Revelation,  character  and  object  of  the  book  of,  .     422 

Rise  of  Mohammedanism,     .....       616-619 

Rulers  and  the  ruled,  .         .         ....     812 

Rome  and  Persia  in  the  7th  century,   .         .         .      612-616 

Reward  of  obedience, 817 

Response  of  the  church, 825 

SACRIFICE,  daily,  meaning  of,  206,  209,  taken  away, 

how  and  when, 341-346 

Sanctuary,  the,  not  the  earth,  211,  not  the  land  of 
Canaan,  212,  not  the  church,  215,  but  the  first 
tabernacle  built  by  Moses,  217,  which  Paul  calls 
the  sanctuary  of  the  first  covenant,  219,  secondly, 
the  sanctuary  or  tabernacle  pitched  not  by  hands, 
but  which  is  in  the  heavens,  223-226,  how 
cleansed,  228,  importance  of  the  subject,  .  .  235 
Sea,  symbolic  meaning  of,  ....  .  147 

Sea  of  Azof  wrested  by  Russia  from  the  Turks,    .         .     381 
Spiritual  not  temporal  power  referred  to  in  Dan.  7: 

24,25, .        .        .167 

Seleucus,  king  of  Syria,  fulfills  Dan.  11:5,  .         .     299 


GENERAL   INDEX.  837 

PASE. 

Seleucus  Ceraunus  and  Antiochus  Magnus  fulfill  Dan. 

11:10, .  303 

Shame  of  resurrected  wicked  not  everlasting,       .         .  401 

Shushan,  where, 190 

South,  king  of,  who, 298,  299,  364 

Stand  up,  meaning  of, 391 

Stanley  on  extent  of  Arianism, 168 

St.  Jean  d'Acre,  Bonaparte  first  repulsed  at,  .  .  368 
Stone  cut  out  of  the  mountain  without  hands,  not  a 

symbol  of  the  church, 88 

Seven  spirits,  meaning  of, 430 

Smyrna,  message  to  the  church  of,                .         .         .  460 

Satan's  seat, 464 

Sardis,  chronology  of  message  to,          ....  476 

Seven  lamps  before  the  throne, 509 

Sea  of  glass, 510 

Symbols  of  the  seven  seals  explained,  .         .      531-541 

Souls  under  the  altar, 541 

Spiritual  Sodom, 654 

Satan  defeated, 672 

THE  CRIMEA  won  by  Catherine, 381 

The  pope  dominated  by  Theodoric,      ....     172 

The  Turk  must  go, 377,  380,  388 

The  world  indebted  to  the  righteous  for  all  their  bless- 
ings,   45,  46 

The  three  worthies,  their  constancy  and  reward,  .  98,  107 
Time,  times,  and  half  a  time,  meaning  of,  .  .  184,  185 
Time  of  the  end,  when  it  commenced,  .  353,  364,  639 

Time  of  trouble  in  Dan.  12:1,  what,  .  .  .  .394 
Toes  of  the  image  represent  divisions  of  Rome,  .  .  78 

True  reading  of  Dan.  7:9, 154 

Turkey,  king  of  the  north,  Dan.  11:40,  364,  made 
Egypt  tributary,  373,  prospect  of  her  soon  fulfilling 
Dan.  11 : 44,  testimony  of  the  correspondent  of  the 


838  GENERAL  INDEX. 

PAGE. 

N.  Y.  Tribune,  377,  Boston  Journal,  378,  Hartford 

Churchman,  379,  and  the  San  Francisco  Chronicle,  383 

Turkish  loss  of  territory, 386 

The  Lord's  day, 442 

Tree  of  life,  where, 457 

The  ten  persecutions, 461 

The  new  name,     ........  467 

The  temple  opened, 482,  663 

The  last  church, 487 

Tried  gold,  signification  of, 492 

Token  of  Christ's  love, 498 

The  four  and  twenty  elders,          .         .         .  .507 

The  four  living  beings, 511 

The  seven  seals,            .......  530 

The  great  earthquake  at  Lisbon, 548 

The  moon  became  as  blood, 551 

The  seal  of  the  living  God,  ....      570-577 

The  144,000, 583 

The  true  Israel, 584 

The  nations  of  the  saved, 587 

The  seven  trumpets,     ....                           .  592 

Tripartite  division  of  the  Roman  Empire,    .         .         .  600 

The  scourge  of  God, 606 

Theodoric,  the  Ostrogoth, 609 

The  Roman  senate  abolished, 611 

The  bottomless  pit,       .                           ...     616,  780 

The  use  of  fire-arms  foretold, 631 

The  book  opened, •  638 

The  mystery  of  God  finished,       ...                  .  645 

The  two  witnesses, 649-664 

The  revolution  of  1848, 661 

The  gospel  church  symbolized, 665 

The  great  red  dragon,                    665 

The  church  in  the  wilderness,       .         .                            .  668 

The  leopard  beast  and  little  horn  identified,          .         .  680 


GENERAL  INDEX.  839 

PAGE. 

The  exarchate  of  Ravenna, 683 

Titles  of  the  pope, 684 

The  United  States  in  prophecy,   ....      685-694 

Three  notable  messages, 699 

Tormented  forever  and  ever,        .....  714 

The  seven  last  plagues, 724 

The  voice  of  God, 741 

The  seventh  plague  universal,       .                           .  741 

The  eighth  head, 751 

The  tea  horns, 752 

The  will  for  the  deed, 766 

The  marriage  of  the  Lamb, 769 

The  bride  the  Lamb's  wife,  ....      769,  800 

The  marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb,        ....  771 

The  beast  taken, 775 

The  lake  of  fire, 775 

The  binding  of  Satan, 781 

The  exaltation  of  the  saints, 783 

The  second  resurrection, 784 

Tormented  day  and  night, 788 

The  great  white  throne, 789 

The  New  Jerusalem, 796 

The  jasper  wall, 805 

The  city  literal, 806 

The  rainbow  foundations,     ......  807 

The  gates  of  pearl, 808 

The  tree  and  river  of  life, 812 

The  home  of  peace,       .......  811 

The  healing  leaves,       .......  814 

The  aagel  not  one  of  the  prophets,        .         .         .         .  772 

The  gracious  invitation,        ......  819 

The  Lord's  assurance,            ......  823 

The  heavenly  gathering, 824 

UNIVERSAL,  meaning  of  as  applied  to  kingdom,     .         .  52 

Until,  singular  use  of  the  word, 35 


840  GENERAL  INDEX. 

PAGE. 

Ultimatum  of  the  great  powers,   .....  634 

Unclean  spirits, 736 

VICABIUS  FUJI  DEI, 697 

Verbs  of  will  and  endeavor,  use  of,                .         .         .  698 

WEEKS,  the  seventy,  explained,  .....  261 

Will  of  Peter  the  Great, 380 

Winds,  symbolic  meaning  of,        .....  146 

White  raiment,  what, 478 

"             "      meaning  of, 494 

War  in  heaven, 669 

Waning  away  of  papal  power, 752 

Water  as  a  symbol  explained,       .....  753 

Wonderful  dimensions  of  the  holy  city,         .         .         .  803 

WTiose  commandments,         ......  817 

Without  the  city,         . 818 

YE  knew  your  duty  but  ye  did  it  not,           .         .         .  820 


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TESTIMONIALS. 

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I  have  carefully  examined  the  volume,  and  take  pleasure  in 
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"  Smith's  Diagram  of  Parliamentary  Rules  is  an  admirably  in- 
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852pp.     $1.00 

The  Nature  and  Destiny  of  Man.    By  Eld. 

U.  Smith.  This  work  treats  on  the  great  questions 
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beyond  the  resurrection.  356pp.  $1.00 

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The  Spirit  of  Prophecy:  or,  the  Great  Contro- 
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These  volumes  cover  the  time  from  the  fall  of  Satan 
to  the  destruction  of  sin  and  sinners  at  the  close  of 
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tles. 1.00 
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The  Constitutional  Amendment:  A  discus- 
sion between  Kid.  W.  H.  Littlejohn  and  the  editor  of 
the  Christian  Statesman,  on  the  Sabbath. 

384pp.     $1.00 

Condensed  edition,  336  pp 

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Spiritual  Songs.  A  book  of  hymns  and  tunes. 
637  hymns.  147  tunes,  416pp.  $1.00 

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Life  of  Wm.  Miller,  with  portrait,  This  book 
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Life  of  Elder  Joseph  Bates,  relating  his  ex- 
perience of  tw  'uty-tive  years  on  ship-board,  with 
incidents  of  his  rise  from  cabin-boy  up  to  master 
and  owner.  The  closing  chapters  relate  to  his  labors 
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ther  moral  reforms. 

Fine  tint  paper,  352pp.    $1.00 

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Thrilling  Incidents  in  the  political  life  of  Fran- 
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and  his  subsequent  travels  in  Africa  and  Syria. 

328pp.     $1.00 

The  Bible  from  Heaven.    By  Eld.  DM.  Can- 

right.  An  argument  to  show  that  the  Bible  is  not 
the  work  of  men,  but  is  in  deed  and  truth,  the  word 
of  God.  300  pp.  80  Cts. 

The  Soul  and  the  Resurrection,  **0™s  the. 

Harmony  of  Science  and  the  Bible  on  the  Nature  of 

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J.  H.  Kellogg,  M.  D.  75  cts. 

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Future  Punishment.  An  able  treatise,  by  H. 
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Spiritual  Gifts.  Vols.  Ill  and  IV  and  Impor- 
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A  History  of  the  Doctrine   of  the   Soul. 

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Better  than  Pearls.  A  superb  collection  of 
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40  cts. 
In  boards,  30  cts. 

Songs  for  Class  and  School.  A  truly  meri- 
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Gems  of  Song.  A  rest-pocket  song  book  con- 
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Hymns  of  Praise.     A  favorite  with  many. 

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The  United  States  in  the  Light  of  Proph- 
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ing f»  Qur  time.  Of  surpassing  interest  to  every 
American  reader.  200pp. 

Paper  covers,  condensed, 

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224pp.     25  CtS. 

Eleven  Sermons  on  the  Sabbath  and  Law. 

By  Kid.  J.  N.  Andrews.  '226pp.     25  CtS. 

The  Atonement.  By  Eld.  J.  H.  Waggoner. 
An  examination  of  a  remedial  system  in  the  light  of 
Nature  and  Revelation.  168  pp.  25  cts. 

Our  Faith  and  Hope.  Sermons  on  the  coming 
and  kingdom  of  Christ.  By  EU.  James  White. 

182pp.    25  CtS. 

Sabbath  Discussion  between  the  late  Eld.  E. 
B.  Lane  and  H.  S.  Barnaby.  20  cts. 

The  Ministration  of  Angels,  and  the  Origin, 
History,  and  Destiny  of  Satan.  Ky  KI-I.  D. 
M.  Canright.  144pp.  20  cts. 

The  Nature  and  Tendency  of  Modern  Spir- 
itualism. By  Eld.  J.  H.  Waggoner. 

1**  PP-     20ct£. 


The  Spirit  of  God,  its  Gifts  and  Manifestations 
to  theend  of  the  Christian  age.  By  Eld.  J.  H.  Wag- 
goner. 144pp.  15  Ct». 


horned  beast.    By  Eld.  J.  N.  Andrews. 

144pp.    15  CtS. 

The  Two  Laws,  as  set  forth  in  the  Scriptures  of 
the  Old  and  New  Testaments.  By  Eld.  D.M.  Can- 
right.  128pp.  15  CtS. 

The  Morality  of  the  Sabbath.    By  EM.  D.M. 

Canright.  J  »6pp.     15  cts. 

Miraculous  Powers.  The  Scripture  testimony 
on  the  Perpetuitv  of  Spiritual  Gifts. 

123  pp.     15  CtS. 

The  Complete  Testimony  of  the  Fathers  of 

the  First  Tlm-e  Centuries  Concerning  the  Sabbath 
and  the  First  Day  of  the  Week.  By  Eld.  J.  N.  An- 
drews. 112pp.  15  CtS. 

Matthew  Twenty-Four.     A  clear  and  forcible 

exposition  of  our  Lord's  discourse  apon  the  Mount  of 

Olives.    By  Eld.  James  White.  6t  pp.    10  cts. 

Matter  and  Spirit.    A  philosophical  argument 

on  an  interesting  theme.    By  Eld.  D.  M.  Canright. 

10  cts. 

Bible  Sanctification.    By  Mrs.  E.  G.  White. 

10  cts. 
The  Sunday  Seventh-Day  Examined.    A 

refutation  of  the  teachings  of  Mede,  Jennings,  Afters, 
and  Fuller.  By  Eld.  J.  X.  Andrews. 

88pp.  10  CtS. 

The  Seven  Trumpets.  An  exposition  of  the 
subject,  as  set  forth  in  Revelation,  Chaps.  8  and  9. 

»6  PP-     10  CtS. 


*aggon__ . 

64pp.    10  CtS. 

Vindication  of  the  True  Sabbath.    By  Eld.  J. 

W.  Morton,  formerlv  Missionary  of  the  Reformed 
Presbyterian  Church  to  Hayti.  68  pp.  10  cts. 

In  Memoriam.  An  account  of  the  last  sickness 
and  death  ot  Eld.  James  White.  10  cts. 

Hope  Of  the  Gospel.  By  Eld.  J.  N.  Loughbor- 
ough.  80  pp.  10  cts. 

Christ  and  the  Sabbath;  or,  Christ  in  the  Old 

Testament  aud  the  Sabbath  in  the  New.  By  Eld. 
James  White.  56  pp.  10  cts. 

Redeemer  and  Redeemed.  By  Eld  James 
White.  This  ivori  sets  forth  the  plan  of  Redemp- 
tion in  it.  three  stages.  40  pp.  10  cts. 

Review  of  Gilfillan;  or,  Thoughts  Suggested 
by  the  Perusal  of  Gilfillan  and  other  Authors  on  the 
Sabbath.  64  pp.  10  cts. 

Appeal  to  the  Baptists  for  the  Restitution  of 
the  Bible  Sabbath.  .  46pp.  10  cts. 

Review  of  Baird.  A  review  of  two  sermons 
against  the  Sabbath  and  Seventh-day  Adventists. 
By  Eld.  J.  H.  Waggoner.  64pp.  lOcts. 

The  Rejected  Ordinance.  A  carefully  prepared 
paper  on  pur  Saviour's  Act  of  Humility  in  John 
13.  10  CtS. 

Key  to  the  Prophetic  Chart.    A  valuable 

publication.  10  cts. 

the  True  People  of 


10  cts. 


I.  Littlejohn. 
Life  of  Christ  and  his  Apostles  :- 

1.  First  Advent,      • 

2.  Temptation, 

3.  Teachings  and  Parables, 

4.  His  Mighty  Miracles, 

5." Sufferings" and  Crucifixion. 

6.  Resurrection  and  Ascension. 

7.  Minis.tr/ofPeter, 

8.  Teachings  of  Paul, 

The  same  in  5  volumes,  in  a  box. 


Thn  Ancient  Sabbath.    Forty-four  objection 
considered.  88pp.     10  cts. 


The  Two  Covenants. 


By  Eld.  J.  N.  Andrews. 
6  cts. 


Can  Saints  Apostatize  T    Candid  and  Scrip- 

tural.  6  Cts. 

Milton  on  the  State  of  the  Dead.    An  argu- 

meiit  by  the  great  poet  lor  Man's  Unconciousness  m 


6  cts. 


TRACTS. 

5  Cents  Each.     Our  Faith  and  Hope. 

4  Cents  Each.  Redemption.  The  Second  Ad- 
vent. The  Sufferings  of  Christ.  The  Present 
Truth.  Origin  and  Progress  of  S.  D.  Adventists. 
Ten  Commandments  not  Abolished.  The  Two 
Covenants.  Address  to  the  Baptists.  The  Two 
Thrones.  Spiritualism  a  Satanic  Delusion.  Sam- 
uel and  the  Witch  of  Endor.  The  Third  Message  of 
Rev.  14.  Who  Changed  the  Sabbath?  The  Spirit 
of  Prophecy.  The  Millennium.  Signs  of  the  Times. 
Scripture  References.  Constitution  of  the  T.  an.d 
M.  Society.  Tithes  and  Offerings.  Sabbaton. 
Seventh  Part  of  Time. 

3  Cents  Each,  Second  Message  of  Rev.  14. 
Lost-Time  Question.  End  of  the  Wicked.  Infidel 
Cards  Considered.  Seventh-Day  Adventists  and 
Seventh-Day  Baptists. 

2  Cents  Each,  Christ  in  the  Old  Testament. 
The  Sabbath  in  the  New  Testament.  The  Old  Moral 
Code  not  Revised.  The  Santuary  of  the  Bible.  The 
Judgment.  Much  in  Little.  The  Two  Laws.  Seven 
Reasons.  The  Definite  Seventh  Day.  Departing 
and  Being  with  Christ.  The  Rich  Man  and  Lazarus. 
Eiihu  on  the  Sabbath.  First  Message  of  Rev.  14. 
The  Law  and  the  Gospel. 

1  Cent  Each.  The  Coming  of  the  Lord.  Perfec- 
tion of  the  Ten  Commandments.  Without  Excuse. 
Thoughts  for  the  Candid.  A  Sign  of  the  Day  of  God. 
Brief  Thoughts  on  Immortality.  AVhich  Day  and 
Why?  Can  We  Know,  or  Can  the  Prophecies  be 
Understood?  Is  the  End  Near?  Is  Man  Immortal  ? 
The  Sleep  of  the  Dead.  The  Sinner's  Fate.  The 
Law  of  God.  What  the  Gospel  Abrogated.  One 
Hundred  Bible  Facts  about  the  Sabbath.  Sunday 
not  the  Sabbath.  "  The  Christian  Sabbath."  Why 
not  Found  out  Before  1  ' 

HEALTH  PUBLICATIONS. 

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single.  This  is  a  Christian  book,  highly  commended 
by  the  press  and  clergymen.  40a  pp.  $  1.  £0 

Condensed  edition,  flexible  covers,  75  cts. 

The  Household  Manual.    A  book  brimful  of 

informal!  n  on  a  hundred  useful  topics.  20,000 
have  been  sold  in  two  years. 

Cloth.  1"-  PP-    75  cts, 

Physiology  and  Hygiene.  360  PP.  50  cts, 
Almost  any  dyspeptic  can  cure 
fy  following  its  teachings,  Beautifully 
bound.  1%PP-  75  Cts, 

Digestion  and  Dyspepsia.  »y  J-  H.  Kellogg, 
M.  D7  This  work  embodies  the  results  of  the  author's 
experience  in  dealing  with  all  forms  of  the  disease, 
in  all  of  its  stages,  and  is  a  thoroughly  practical 
treatise  on  this  prevalent  malady. 

In  cloth,  176  pp.    75  cts. 

Paper  covers,  25  cts. 

Uses  of  Water  in  Health  and  Disease,  giv- 
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valuable  remedy. 

In  cloth,  166  pp.    60  cts. 

Paper  covers,  136  pp.    25  cts. 

Treatment  of  Disease.  A  guide  for  treating 
the  sick  without  medicine.  160  pp.  30  cts. 


Solemn  Appeal,  A  Christian  appeal,  based  on 
Physiology  and  Religion,  to  preserve  the  purity  -">d 
health  of  the  youth.  50  cts. 

Lectures  on  the  Science  of  Human  Life. 

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vidual. 174pp.  30  cts. 

Diphtheria,  A  concise  account  of  the  nature, 
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disease. 

Board  covers,  with  4  colored  plates,  64  pp.    25  cts, 

Alcoholic  Poison;  or,  the  Physical,  Moral,  and 
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Medicine.  The  best  compendium  of  the  temperance 
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Paper  covers.  128  pp.    25  cts. 

Evils  of  Fashionable  Dress,   and  How  to 

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point, and  thoroughly  exposes  its  evils.  It  does 
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Healthful  Cookery.  A  Hand-book  of  Food  ana 
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Eat.  It  contains  a  large  number  of  recipes  for  tlie 
preparation  of  wholesome  and  palatable  food  without 
condiments. 

Enamel  paper  covers,  128pp.    25  cts. 

Proper  Diet  for  Man.  A  scientirjf  diseunsion 
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Ultra  notions  are  avoided,  and  the  subjects  treated 
are  handled  with  candor. 

Paper  covers,  15  cts. 

TobaCCO-Using.  A  philosophical  exposition  of 
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60pp.     15  Cts. 

Health  and  Diseases  of  American  Women. 
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The  Hygienic  System.    Full  of  good  thing?. 
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TRACTS. 

4  Cents  Each,     Startling  Facts  about  Tobacco. 

3  Cents  Each,     Wine  and  the  Bible. 

2  Cents  Each.  Principles  of  Healih  Reform. 
Porlc.  The  Drunkard's  Arguments  Answered.  Al- 
coholic Medication.  Twenty-five  Arguments  on  To 
bacco- Using  Briefly  Answered. 

1  Cent  Each,  Causes  and  Cure  of  Intemperance. 
Moral  and  Social  Effects  of  Intemperance.  Tobacco- 
Using—Cause  of  Disease.  Tobacco  Poi-oning — 
Nicotiana  Tabacum.  Effects  of  Tea  and  Coffee. 
Ten  Arguments  on  Tea  and  Coffee. 

H  Cent  Each,  Alcoholic  Poison.  Tobacco-Using 
A  Relic  of  Barbarism.  True  Temperance.  Alcohol, 
What  Is  It? 

OTHER  LANGUAGES. 

The  Association  has  -M  different  works  in  Danish- 
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glish, and  the  various  Foreign  Languages,  furnished 
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REVIEW  AND  Tnen.AT.Ti, 

Battle  Creek,  Mich. 


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